7, 34] 


35  4^ 

I9'. 


"2 


THE    EXPOSITOR'S    BIBLE 


EDITED   BY  THE   RF.V. 

VV.    ROBERTSON    NICOLL,    M.A.,    LL.D. 

Editor  of  "  The  Expositor' 


THE     PSALMS 

BY 

ALEXANDER    MACLAREN,    D.D. 


VOLUME  in. 
PSALM   XC.-CL. 


NEW   YORK 

A.    C.    ARMSTRONG    AND    SON 

51    EAST    TENTH    STREET 
1894 


w 

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THE      PSALMS 


ALEXANDER    MACLAREN,    D.D. 

4  > 


VOLUME  III 
PSALMS  XC.-CL. 


NEW   YORK 

A.    C.    ARMSTRONG    AND    SON 

51    EAST    TENTH    STREET 

1894 


CONTE  NTS 


Psalm   XC. 
XCI. 


XCII. 
XCI  II. 
XCIV. 
XCV. . 
XCVI. 
XCVII. 
XCVI  1 1. 
XCIX. 

c. 

CI.  . 
CII.  . 

cm. . 

CIV.  . 


3 

14 
26 

33 
38 
48 

55 
60 
68 
71 
78 
81 

87 

lOI 

III 


CONTENTS 


Psalm   CV 124 

CVI 137 

CVII 155 

CVIII. 169 

CIX 172 

CX 183 

CXI 193 

CXII 198 

CXIII 205 

CXIV 210 

CXV 214 

CXVI 221 

CXVII 229 

CXVIII 231 

CXIX 244 

CXX 292 

CXXI 297 

cxxii 303 

cxxiii 307 

CXXIV.     .  310 


CONTENTS  vii 

PAGE 

Psalm   CXXV 313 

CXXVI 318 

.,       CXXVII 323 

CXXVIII 327 

CXXIX 331 

-       CXXX 335 

CXXXI 341 

CXXXII 344 

CXXXIII 355 

„        CXXXIV 359 

CXXXV 361 

CXXXVI 366 

cxxxvii 370 

cxxxviii 376 

cxxxix 382 

CXL 393 

CXLI 398 

CXLII 405 

CXLIII 410 

CXLIV 418 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 

Psalm   CXLV 424 

CXLVI -434 

CXLVII 440 

CXLVIII 448 

CXLIX 454 

..        CL 458 


BOOK    IV. 

PSALMS    XC.—CVI. 


VOL.   III. 


PSALM    XC. 

1  Lord,  a  dwelling-place  hast  Thou  been  for  us 
In  generation  after  generation. 

2  Before  the  mountains  were  born, 

Or  Thou  gavcst  birth  to  the  earth  and  the  world, 
Even  from  everlasting,  Thou  art  God. 

3  Thou  turncst  frail  man  back  to  dust, 
And  sayest,  "  Return,  ye  sons  of  man." 

4  For  a  thousand  years  in  Thine  eyes  are  as  yesterday  when 

it  was  passing. 
And  a  watch  in  the  night. 

5  Thou  dost  flood  them  away,  a  sleep  do  they  become. 

In  the  morning  they  are  like  grass  [which]  springs  afresh. 

6  In  the  morning  it  blooms  and  springs  afresh, 
By  evening  it  is  cut  down  and  withers. 

7  For  we  are  wasted  away  in  Thine  anger. 

And  by  Thy  wrath  have  we  been  panic-struck. 

8  Thou  hast  set  our  iniquities  before  Thee, 
Our  secret  [sins]  in  the  radiance  of  Thy  face. 

9  For  all  our  days  have  vanished  in  Thy  wrath. 
We  have  spent  our  years  as  a  murmur. 

10  The  days  of  our  years — in  them  are  seventy  years, 
Or  if  [we  are]  in  strength,  eighty  years. 

And  their  pride  is  [but]  trouble  and  vanity, 
For  it  is  passed  swiftly,  and  we  fly  away. 

1 1  Who  knows  the  power  of  Thine  anger. 

And  of  Thy  wrath  according  to  the  [due]  fear  of  Thee? 

12  To  number  our  days — thus  teach  us, 

That  we  may  win  ourselves  a  heart  of  wisdom. 

13  Return,  Jehovah;  how  long? 

And  have  compassion  upon  Thy  servants. 

14  Satisfy  us  in  the  morning  [with]  Thy  loving-kindness. 
And  we  shall  ring  out  joyful  cries  and  be  glad  all  our  days. 

3 


THE  PSALMS 


15  Gladden  us  according  to  the  days  [when]  Thou  hast  afflicted  us, 
The  j'ears  [when]  we  have  seen  adversity. 

16  To  Thy  servants  let  Thy  working  be  manifested, 
And  Thy  majesty  upon  their  children. 

17  And  let  the  graciousness  of  the  Lord  our  God  be  upon  us, 
And  the  work  of  our  hands  establish  upon  us, 

Yea,  the  work  of  our  hands  establish  it. 

THE  sad  and  stately  music  of  this  great  psalm 
befits  the  dirge  of  a  world.  How  artificial  and 
poor,  beside  its  restrained  emotion  and  majestic  sim- 
plicity, do  even  the  most  deeply  felt  strains  of  other 
poets  on  the  same  themes  sound  1  It  preaches  man's 
mortality  in  immortal  words.  In  its  awestruck  yet 
trustful  gaze  on  God's  eternal  being,  in  its  lofty  sadness, 
in  its  archaic  directness,  in  its  grand  images  so  clearly 
cut  and  so  briefly  expressed,  in  its  emphatic  recognition 
of  sin  as  the  occasion  of  death,  and  in  its  clinging  to 
the  eternal  God  who  can  fill  fleeting  days  with  ringing 
gladness,  the  psalm  utters  once  for  all  the  deepest 
thoughts  of  devout  men.  Like  the  God  whom  it  hymns, 
it  has  been  "  for  generation  after  generation  "  an  asylum. 
The  question  of  its  authorship  has  a  literary  interest, 
but  little  more.  The  arguments  against  the  Mosaic 
authorship,  apart  from  those  derived  from  the  as  yet 
unsettled  questions  in  regard  to  the  Pentateuch,  are 
weak.  The  favourite  one,  adduced  by  Cheyne  after 
Hupfeld  and  others,  is  that  the  duration  of  human  life 
was  greater,  according  to  the  history,  in  Moses'  time 
than  seventy  years  ;  but  the  prolonged  lives  of  certain 
conspicuous  persons  in  that  period  do  not  warrant 
a  conclusion  as  to  the  average  length  of  life ;  and  the 
generation  that  fell  in  the  wilderness  can  clearly  not 
have  lived  beyond  the  psalmist's  limit.  The  charac- 
teristic Mosaic  tone  in  regarding  death  as  the  wages 
of  sin,  the  massive  simplicity  and  the  entire  absence 


xc]  THE  PSALMS 


of  dependence  on  other  parts  of  the  Psalter,  which 
separate  this  psalm  from  almost  all  the  others  of  the 
Fourth  Book,  are  strongly  favourable  to  the  correctness 
of  the  superscription.  Further,  the  section  vv.  7-12  is 
distinctly  historical,  and  is  best  understood  as  referring 
not  to  mankind  in  general,  but  to  Israel ;  and  no  period 
is  so  likely  to  have  suggested  such  a  strain  of  thought 
as  that  when  the  penalty  of  sin  was  laid  upon  the  people, 
and  they  were  condemned  to  find  graves  in  the  wilder- 
ness. But  however  the  question  of  authorship  may  be 
settled,  the  psalm  is  "  not  of  an  age,  but  for  all  time." 

It  falls  into  three  parts,  of  which  the  two  former 
contain  six  verses  each,  while  the  last  has  but  five.  In 
the  first  section  (vv.  1-6),  the  transitoriness  of  men 
is  set  over  against  the  eternity  of  God  ;  in  the  second, 
(vv.  7-12)  that  transitoriness  is  traced  to  its  reason, 
namely  sin  ;  and  in  the  third,  prayer  that  God  would 
visit  His  servants  is  built  upon  both  His  eternity  and 
their  fleeting  days.  The  short  ver.  i  blends  both  the 
thoughts  which  are  expanded  in  the  following  verses, 
while  in  it  the  singer  breathes  awed  contemplation 
of  the  eternal  God  as  the  dwelling-place  or  asylum  of 
generations  that  follow  each  other,  swift  and  unremem- 
bered,  as  the  waves  that  break  on  some  lonely  shore. 
God  is  invoked  as  "  Lord,"  the  sovereign  ruler,  the 
name  which  connotes  His  elevation  and  authority. 
But,  though  lofty.  He  is  not  inaccessible.  As  some 
ancestral  home  shelters  generation  after  generation  of 
a  family,  and  in  its  solid  strength  stands  unmoved, 
while  one  after  another  of  its  somewhile  tenants  is 
borne  forth  to  his  grave,  and  the  descendants  sit  in  the 
halls  where  centuries  before  their  ancestors  sat,  God  is 
the  home  of  all  who  find  any  real  home  amidst  the 
fluctuating  nothings  of  this  shadowy  world.     The  con- 


THE  PSALMS 


trast  of  His  eternity  and  our  transiency  is  not  bitter, 
though  it  may  hush  us  into  wisdom,  if  we  begin  with 
the  trust  that  He  is  the  abiding  abode  of  short-Hved  man. 
For  this  use  of  dwelling-place  compare  Deut.  xxxiii.  27. 

What  God  has  been  to  successive  generations  results 
from  what  He  is  in  Himself  before  all  generations. 
So  ver.  2  soars  to  the  contemplation  of  His  absolute 
eternity,  stretching  boundless  on  either  side  of  "  this 
bank  and  shoal  of  time  " — "  From  everlasting  to  ever- 
lasting Thou  art  God  " ;  and  in  that  name  is  proclaimed 
His  self-derived  strength,  which,  being  eternal,  is 
neither  derived  from  nor  diminished  by  time,  that  first 
gives  to,  and  then  withdraws  from,  all  creatures  their 
feeble  power.  The  remarkable  expressions  for  the 
coming  forth  of  the  material  world  from  the  abyss  of 
Deity  regard  creation  as  a  birth.  The  Hebrew  text 
reads  in  ver.  2  ^  as  above,  "  Thou  gavest  birth  to" ;  but  a 
very  small  change  in  a  single  vowel  gives  the  possibly 
preferable  reading  which  preserves  the  parallelism  of  a 
passive  verb  in  both  clauses,  "  Or  the  earth  and  the 
world  were  brought  forth." 

The  poet  turns  now  to  the  other  member  of  his 
antithesis.  Over  against  God's  eternal  Being  is  set  the 
succession  of  man's  generations,  which  has  been  already 
referred  to  in  ver.  i.  This  thought  of  successiveness 
is  lost  unless  ver.  3  6  is  understood  as  the  creative 
fiat  which  replaces  by  a  new  generation  those  who 
have  been  turned  back  to  dust.  Death  and  life,  decay 
and  ever-springing  growth,  are  in  continual  alternation. 
The  leaves,  which  are  men,  drop ;  the  buds  swell  and 
open.  The  ever-knitted  web  is  being  ever  run  down 
and  woven  together  again.  It  is  a  dreary  sight,  unless 
one  can  say  with  our  psalm,  "  Thou  turnest  .  .  .  Thou 
sayest.  Return."     Then  one  understands  that  it  is  not 


xc]  THE  PSALMS 


aimless  or  futile.  If  a  living  Person  is  behind  the 
transiencies  of  human  life,  these  are  still  pathetic  and 
awe-kindling,  but  not  bewildering.  In  ver.  3  a  there 
is  clear  allusion  to  Gen.  iii.  19.  The  word  rendered 
"  dust "  may  be  an  adjective  taken  as  neuter  =  that 
which  is  crushed,  i.e.  dust ;  or,  as  others  suppose,  a 
substantive  =  crushing)  but  is  probably  best  understood 
in  the  former  sense.  The  psalm  significantly  uses  the 
word  for  man  which  connotes  frailty,  and  in  b  the 
expression  "  sons  of  man  "  which  suggests  birth. 

The  psalmist  rises  still  higher  in  ver.  4.  It  is  much 
to  say  that  God's  Being  is  endless,  but  it  is  more  to 
say  that  He  is  raised  above  Time,  and  that  none  of 
the  terms  in  which  men  describe  duration  have  any 
meaning  for  Him.  A  thousand  years,  which  to  a  man 
seem  so  long,  are  to  Him  dwindled  to  nothing,  in 
comparison  with  the  eternity  of  His  Being.  As  Peter 
has  said,  the  converse  must  also  be  true,  and  "  one 
day  be  with  the  Lord  as  a  thousand  years."  He 
can  crowd  a  fulness  of  action  into  narrow  limits. 
Moments  can  do  the  work  of  centuries.  The  longest 
and  shortest  measures  of  time  are  absolutely  equiva- 
lent, for  both  are  entirely  inapplicable,  to  His  timeless 
Being.  But  what  has  this  great  thought  to  do  here, 
and  how  is  the  "  For "  justified  ?  It  may  be  that 
the  psalmist  is  supporting  the  representation  of  ver.  2, 
God's  eternity,  rather  than  that  of  ver.  3,  man's  tran- 
siency ;  but,  seeing  that  this  verse  is  followed  by  one 
which  strikes  the  same  note  as  ver.  3,  it  is  more 
probable  that  here,  too,  the  dominant  thought  is  the 
brevity  of  human  life.  It  never  seems  so  short,  as 
when  measured  against  God's  timeless  existence.  So, 
the  underlying  thought  of  ver.  3,  namely,  the  brevity 
of  man's  time,  which  is  there  illustrated  by  the  picture 


THE  PSALMS 


of  the  endless  flux  of  generations,  is  here  confirmed 
by  the  thought  that  all  measures  of  time  dwindle  to 
equal  insignificance  with  Him. 

The  psalmist  next  takes  his  stand  on  the  border- 
moment  between  to-day  and  yesterday.  How  short 
looks  the  day  that  is  gliding  away  into  the  past !  "  A 
watch  in  the  night  "  is  still  shorter  to  our  consciousness, 
for  it  passes  over  us  unnoted. 

The  passing  of  mortal  life  has  hitherto  been  con- 
templated in  immediate  connection  with  God's  perma- 
nence, and  the  psalmist's  tone  has  been  a  wonderful 
blending  of  melancholy  and  trust.  But  in  ver.  5  the 
sadder  side  of  his  contemplations  becomes  predominant. 
Frail  man,  frail  because  sinful,  is  his  theme.  The 
figures  which  set  forth  man's  mortality  are  grand  in 
their  unelaborated  brevity.  They  are  like  some  of 
Michael  Angelo's  solemn  statues.  "  Thou  floodest 
them  away " — a  bold  metaphor,  suggesting  the  rush 
of  a  mighty  stream,  bearing  on  its  tawny  bosom 
crops,  household  goods,  and  corpses,  and  hurrying 
with  its  spoils  to  the  sea.  "They  become  a  sleep." 
Some  would  take  this  to  mean  falling  into  the  sleep 
of  death ;  others  would  regard  life  as  compared  to 
a  sleep — "  for  before  we  are  rightly  conscious  of  being 
alive,  we  cease  to  live  "  (Luther,  quoted  by  Chcync)  ; 
while  others  find  the  point  of  comparison  in  the  dis- 
appearance, without  leaving  a  trace  behind,  of  the 
noisy  generations,  sunk  at  once  into  silence,  and 
"occupying  no  more  space  on  the  scroll  of  Time  than 
a  night's  sleep"  (so  Kay).  It  is  tempting  to  attach 
"in  the  morning"  to  "a  sleep,"  but  the  recurrence 
of  the  expression  in  ver.  7  points  to  the  retention  of 
the  present  division  of  clauses,  according  to  which  the 
springing  grass  greets  the  eye  at  dawn,  as  if  created 


xc]  THE  PSALMS 


by  a  night's  rain.  The  word  rendered  "  springs 
afresh"  is  taken  in  two  opposite  meanings,  being  by 
some  rendered  passes  away,  and  by  others  as  above. 
Both  meanings  come  from  the  same  radical  notion 
of  change,  but  the  latter  is  evidently  the  more  natural 
and  picturesque  here,  as  preserving,  untroubled  by  any 
intrusion  of  an  opposite  thought,  the  cheerful  picture 
of  the  pastures  rejoicing  in  the  morning  sunshine,  and 
so  making  more  impressive  the  sudden,  sad  change 
wrought  by  evening,  when  all  the  fresh  green  blades 
and  bright  flowers  lie  turned  already  into  brown  hay 
by  the  mower's  scythe  and  the  fierce  sunbeams. 

"  So  passcth,  in  the  passing  of  an  hour, 
Of  mortal  life,  the  leaf,  the  bud,  the  flower." 

The  central  portion  of  the  psafm  (vv.  7-12)  narrows 
the  circle  of  the  poet's  vision  to  Israel,  and  brings 
out  the  connection  between  death  and  sin.  The 
transition  from  truths  of  universal  application  is  marked 
by  the  use  of  we  and  us,  while  the  past  tenses  indicate 
that  the  psalm  is  recounting  histor}^  That  transi- 
toriness  assumes  a  still  more  tragic  aspect,  when 
regarded  as  the  result  of  the  collision  of  God's  "  wrath  " 
with  frail  man.  How  can  such  stubble  but  be  wasted 
into  ashes  by  such  fire  ?  And  yet  this  is  the  same 
psalmist  who  has  just  discerned  that  the  unchanging 
Lord  is  the  dwelling-place  of  all  generations.  The 
change  from  the  previous  thought  of  the  eternal  God 
as  the  dwelling-place  of  frail  men  is  very  marked  in 
this  section,  in  which  the  destructive  anger  of  God 
is  in  view.  But  the  singer  felt  no  contradiction  between 
the  two  thoughts,  and  there  is  none.  We  do  not 
understand  the  full  blessedness  of  believing  that  God 
is  our  asylum,  till  we  understand  that  He  is  our  asylum 


THE  PSALMS 


from  all  that  is  destructive  in  Himself;  nor  do  we 
know  the  significance  of  the  universal  experience  of 
decay  and  death,  till  we  learn  that  it  is  not  the  result 
of  our  finite  being,  but  of  sin. 

That  one  note  sounds  on  in  solemn  persistence 
through  these  verses,  therein  echoing  the  characteristic 
Mosaic  lesson,  and  corresponding  with  the  history  of 
the  people  in  the  desert.  In  ver.  7  the  cause  of  their 
wasting  away  is  declared  to  be  God's  wrath,  which 
has  scattered  them  as  in  panic  (Psalm  xlviii.  5).  The 
occasion  of  that  lightning  flash  of  anger  is  confessed 
in  ver.  8  to  be  the  sins  which,  however  hidden,  stand 
revealed  before  God.  The  expression  for  "  the  light 
of  Thy  face  "  is  slightly  different  from  the  usual  one,  a 
word  being  employed  which  means  a  luminary,  and  is 
used  in  Gen.  i.  for  the  heavenly  bodies.  The  ordinary 
phrase  is  always  used  as  expressing  favour  and  blessing ; 
but  there  is  an  illumination,  as  from  an  all-revealing 
light,  which  flashes  into  all  dark  corners  of  human 
experience,  and  "  there  is  nothing  hid  from  the  heat 
thereof."  Sin  smitten  by  that  light  must  die.  There- 
fore, in  ver.  9,  the  consequence  of  its  falling  on  Israel's 
transgressions  is  set  forth.  Their  days  vanish  as  mists 
before  the  sun,  or  as  darkness  glides  out  of  the  sky  in 
the  morning.  Their  noisy  years  are  but  as  a  murmur, 
scarce  breaking  the  deep  silence,  and  forgotten  as  soon 
as  faintly  heard.  The  psalmist  sums  up  his  sad  con- 
templations in  ver.  10,  in  which  life  is  regarded  as  not 
only  rigidly  circumscribed  within  a  poor  seventy  or,  at 
most,  eighty  years,  but  as  being,  by  reason  of  its  transi- 
toriness,  unsatisfying  and  burdensome.  The  **  pride  " 
which  is  but  trouble  and  vanity  is  that  which  John 
calls  "  the  pride  of  life,"  the  objects  which,  apart 
from   God,   men   desire  to  win,  and  glory  in  possess- 


xc]  THE  PSALMS 


ing.  The  self-gratulation  would  be  less  ridiculous  or 
tragic,  if  the  things  which  evoke  it  lasted  longer,  or  we 
lasted  longer  to  possess  them.  But  seeing  that  they 
swiftly  pass  and  we  fly  too,  surely  it  is  but  "  trouble  " 
to  fight  for  what  is  "  vanity "  when  won,  and  what 
melts  away  so  surely  and  soon. 

Plainly,  then,  things  being  so,  man's  wisdom  is  to 
seek  to  know  two  things — the  power  of  God's  anger, 
and  the  measure  of  his  own  days.  But  alas  for  human 
levity  and  bondage  to  sense,  how  few  look  beyond  the 
external,  or  lay  to  heart  the  solemn  truth  that  God's 
wrath  is  inevitably  operative  against  sin,  and  how  few 
have  any  such  just  conception  of  it  as  to  lead  to  rever- 
ential awe,  proportioned  to  the  Divine  character  which 
should  evoke  it !  Ignorance  and  inoperative  knowledge 
divide  mankind  between  them,  and  but  a  small  remnant 
have  let  the  truth  plough  deep  into  their  inmost  being 
and  plant  there  holy  fear  of  God.  Therefore,  the 
psalmist  prays  for  himself  and  his  people,  as  knowing 
the  temptations  to  inconsiderate  disregard  and  to  in- 
adequate feeling  of  God's  opposition  to  sin,  that  His 
power  would  take  untaught  hearts  in  hand  and  teach 
them  this — to  count  their  days.  Then  we  shall  bring 
home,  as  from  a  ripened  harvest  field,  the  best  fruit 
which  life  can  yield,  "  a  heart  of  wisdom,"  which,  having 
learned  the  power  of  God's  anger,  and  the  number  of 
our  days,  turns  itself  to  the  eternal  dwelling-place,  and  no 
more  is  sad,  when  it  sees  life  ebbing  away,  or  the  genera- 
tions moving  in  unbroken  succession  into  the  darkness. 

The  third  part  (vv.  13-17)  gathers  all  the  previous 
meditations  into  a  prayer,  which  is  peculiarly  appro- 
priate to  Israel  in  the  wilderness,  but  has  deep  meaning 
for  all  God's  servants.  We  note  the  invocation  of  God 
by  the  covenant  name  "Jehovah,"  as  contrasted  with 


THE  PSALMS 


the  "  Lord  "  of  ver.  i.  The  psalmist  draws  nearer  to 
God,  and  feels  the  closer  bond  of  which  that  name  is  the 
pledge.  His  prayer  is  the  more  urgent,  by  reason  of 
the  brevity  of  life.  So  short  is  his  time  that  he  cannot 
afford  to  let  God  delay  in  coming  to  him  and  to  his 
fellows.  **  How  long  ?  "  comes  pathetically  from  lips 
which  have  been  declaring  that  their  time  of  speech  is 
so  short.  This  is  not  impatience,  but  wistful  yearning, 
which,  even  while  it  yearns,  leaves  God  to  settle  His 
own  time,  and,  while  it  submits,  still  longs.  Night  has 
wrapped  Israel,  but  the  psalmist's  faith  "  awakes  the 
morning,"  and  he  prays  that  its  beams  may  soon  dawn 
and  Israel  be  satisfied  with  the  longed-for  loving- 
kindness  (compare  Psalm  xxx.  5) ;  for  life  at  its  longest 
is  but  brief,  and  he  would  fain  have  what  remains  of  it  be 
lit  with  sunshine  from  God's  face.  The  only  thing  that 
will  secure  life-long  gladness  is  a  heart  satisfied  with 
the  experience  of  God's  love.  That  will  make  morning 
in  mirk  midnight ;  that  will  take  all  the  sorrow  out  of 
the  transiency  of  life.  The  days  which  are  filled  with 
God  are  long  enough  to  satisfy  us ;  and  they  who  have 
Him  for  their  own  will  be  "  full  of  days,"  whatever  the 
number  of  these  may  be. 

The  psalmist  believes  that  God's  justice  has  in  store 
for  His  servants  joys  and  blessings  proportioned  to 
the  duration  of  their  trials.  He  is  not  thinking  of  any 
future  beyond  the  grave ;  but  his  prayer  is  a  prophecy, 
which  is  often  fulfilled  even  in  this  life  and  always 
hereafter.  Sorrows  rightly  borne  here  are  factors 
determining  the  glory  that  shall  follow.  There  is  a 
proportion  between  the  years  of  affliction  and  the 
millenniums  of  glory.  But  the  final  prayer,  based 
upon  all  these  thoughts  of  God's  eternity  and  man's 
transitoriness,  is  not  for  blessedness,  but  for  vision  and 


xc]  THE  PSALMS  13 


Divine  favour  on  work  done  for  Him.  The  deepest 
longing  of  the  devout  heart  should  be  for  the  mani- 
festation to  itself  and  others  of  God's  work.  The 
psalmist  is  not  only  asking  that  God  would  put  forth 
His  acts  in  interposition  for  himself  and  his  fellow- 
servants,  but  also  that  the  full  glory  of  these  far-reaching 
deeds  may  be  disclosed  to  their  understandings  as  well 
as  experienced  in  their  lives.  And  since  he  knows 
that  "  through  the  ages  an  increasing  purpose  runs," 
he  prays  that  coming  generations  may  see  even  more 
glorious  displays  of  Divine  power  than  his  contem- 
poraries have  done.  How  the  sadness  of  the  thought 
of  fleeting  generations  succeeded  by  new  ones  vanishes 
when  we  think  of  them  all  as,  in  turn,  spectators  and 
possessors  of  God's  "  work  "  !  But  in  that  great  work 
we  are  not  to  be  mere  spectators.  Fleeting  as  our 
days  are,  they  are  ennobled  by  our  being  permitted  to 
be  God's  tools  ;  and  if  "  the  work  of  our  hands  "  is  the 
reflex  or  carrying  on  of  His  working,  we  can  con- 
fidently ask  that,  though  we  the  workers  have  to  pass, 
it  may  be  "  established."  "  In  our  embers  "  may  be 
"something  that  doth  live,"  and  that  life  will  not  all 
die  which  has  done  the  will  of  God,  but  it  and  its 
doer  will  "  endure  for  ever."  Only  there  must  be  the 
descent  upon  us  of  "the  graciousness  "  of  God,  before 
there  can  flow  from  us  "deeds  which  breed  not 
shame,"  but  outlast  the  perishable  earth  and  follow 
their  doers  into  the  eternal  dwelling-place.  The 
psalmist's  closing  prayer  reaches  further  than  he  knew. 
Lives  on  which  the  favour  of  God  has  come  down  like 
a  dove,  and  in  which  His  will  has  been  done,  are  not 
flooded  away,  nor  do  they  die  into  silence  like  a  whisper, 
but  carry  in  themselves  the  seeds  of  immortality,  and 
are  akin  to  the  eternity  of  God. 


PSALM    XCI. 

1  He  that  sits  in  the  secret  place  of  the  Most  High, 
In  the  shadow  of  the  Almighty  shall  he  lodge. 

2  I  will  say  to  Jehovah,  "  My  refuge  and  my  fortress. 
My  God,  in  whom  I  will  trust." 

3  For  He,  He  shall  deliver  thee  from  the  snare  of  the  fowler 
From  the  pestilence  that  destroys. 

4  With  His  pinions  shall  He  cover  thee, 

And  under  His  wings  shalt  thou  take  refuge, 
A  shield  and  target  is  His  Troth. 

5  Thou  shalt  not  be  afraid  of  the  terror  of  the  night, 
Of  the  arrow  [that]  flies  by  day, 

6  Of  the  pestilence  [that]  stalks  in  darkness. 
Of  the  sickness  [that]  devastates  at  noonday. 

7  A  thousand  may  fall  at  thy  side, 
And  a  myriad  at  thy  right  hand, 
To  thee  it  shall  not  reach. 

8  Only  with  thine  eyes  shalt  thou  look  on. 
And  see  the  recompense  of  the  wicked. 

ga  "  For  Thou,  Jehovah,  art  my  refuge." 

gb  The  Most  High  thou  hast  made  thy  dwelling-place. 

10  No  evil  shall  befall  thee, 

And  no  scourge  shall  come  near  thj'  tent. 

11  For  His  angels  will  He  command  concerning  thcc, 
To  keep  thee  in  all  thy  ways. 

12  Upon  [their]  hands  shall  they  bear  thee, 
Lest  thou  strike  thy  foot  against  a  stone. 

13  Upon  lion  and  adder  shalt  thou  tread. 

Thou  shalt  trample  upon  young  lion  and  dragon. 

14  "Because  to  Me  he  clings,  therefore  will  I  deliver  him 
I  will  lift  him  high  because  he  knows  My  name. 

14 


xci.]  THE  PSALMS  IS 


15  He  shall  call  on  Me,  and  I  will  answer  him  ; 
With  him  will  I,  even  I,  be  in  trouble, 

I  will  rescue  him  and  bring  him  to  honour. 

16  [With]  length  of  days  will  I  satisfy  him, 
And  give  him  to  gaze  on  My  salvation." 

THE  solemn  sadness  of  Psalm  xc.  is  set  in  strong 
relief  by  the  sunny  brightness  of  this  song  of 
happy,  perfect  trust  in  the  Divine  protection.  The 
juxtaposition  is,  however,  probably  due  to  the  verbal 
coincidence  of  the  same  expression  being  used  in  both 
psalms  in  reference  to  God.  In  Psalm  xc.  i,  and  in 
xci.  9,  the  somewhat  unusual  designation  "  dwelling- 
place  "  is  applied  to  Him,  and  the  thought  conveyed 
in  it  runs  through  the  whole  of  this  psalm. 

An  outstanding  characteristic  of  it  is  its  sudden 
changes  of  persons;  "He,"  "I,"  and.  "thou"  alternate 
in  a  bewildering  fashion,  which  has  led  to  many 
attempts  at  explanation.  One  point  is  clear — that,  in 
vv.  14-16,  God  speaks,  and  that  He  speaks  of,  not  to, 
the  person  who  loves  and  clings  to  Him.  At  ver.  14, 
then,  we  must  suppose  a  change  of  speaker,  which  is 
unmarked  by  any  introductory  formula.  Looking  back 
over  the  remainder  of  the  psalm,  we  find  that  the  bulk 
of  it  is  addressed  directly  to  a  person  who  must  be  the 
same  as  is  spoken  of  in  the  Divine  promises.  The 
"  him "  of  the  latter  is  the  "  thee "  of  the  mass  of 
the  psalm.  But  this  mass  is  broken  at  two  points  by 
clauses  alike  in  meaning,  and  containing  expressions 
of  trust  (w.  2,  9  a).  Obviously  the  unity  of  the  psalm 
requires  that  the  "  I "  of  these  two  verses  should  be 
the  "  thou  "  of  the  great  portion  of  the  psalm,  and  the 
"  he  "  of  the  last  part.  Each  profession  of  trust  will 
then  be  followed  by  assurances  of  safety  thence  result- 
ing, ver.  2  having  for  pendant  vv.  3-8,  and  ver.  9  a 


1 6  THE  PSALMS 


being  followed  by  vv.  96-13.  The  two  utterances  of 
personal  faith  are  substantially  identical,  and  the  as- 
surances which  succeed  them  are  also  in  effect  the 
same.  It  is  by  some  supposed  that  this  alternation 
of  persons  is  due  simply  to  the  poet  expressing  partly 
"  his  own  feelings  as  from  himself,  and  partly  as  if  they 
were  uttered  by  another  "  (Perowne  after  Ewald).  But 
that  is  not  an  explanation  of  the  structure ;  it  is  only 
a  statement  of  the  structure  which  requires  to  be  ex- 
plained. No  doubt  the  poet  is  expressing  his  own 
feelings  or  convictions  all  through  the  psalm  :  but  why 
does  he  express  them  in  this  singular  fashion  ? 

The  explanation  which  is  given  by  Delitzsch,  Stier, 
Cheyne  and  many  others  takes  the  psalm  to  be  anti- 
phonal,  and  distributes  the  parts  among  the  voices  of 
a  choir,  with  some  variations  in  the  allocation. 

But  ver.  i  still  remains  a  difficulty.  As  it  stands  it 
sounds  flat  and  tautological,  and  hence  attempts  have 
been  made  to  amend  it,  which  will  presently  be  referred 
to.  But  it  will  fall  into  the  general  antiphonal  scheme, 
if  it  is  regarded  as  a  prelude,  sung  by  the  same  voice 
which  twice  answers  the  single  singer  with  choral 
assurances  that  reward  his  trust.  We,  then,  have  this 
distribution  of  parts  :  ver.  i ,  the  broad  statement  of 
the  blessedness  of  dwelling  with  God ;  ver.  2,  a  solo, 
the  voice  of  a  heart  encouraged  thereby  to  exercise 
personal  trust ;  vv.  3-8,  answers,  setting  forth  the 
security  of  such  a  refuge;  ver.  9a,  solo,  reiterating 
with  sweet  monotony  the  word  of  trust ;  vv.  gb-i^,,  the 
first  voice  or  chorus  repeating  with  some  variation  the 
assurances  of  vv.  3-8;  and  vv.  14-16,  God's  acceptance 
of  the  trust  and  confirmation  of  the  assurances. 

There  is,  no  doubt,  difficulty  in  ver.  i  ;  for,  if  it  is 
taken  as  an  independent  sentence,  it  sounds  tautological. 


xci.]  THE  PSALMS  17 

since  there  is  no  well-marked  difference  between  "  sit- 
ting "  and  "  lodging,"  nor  much  between  "  secret  place  " 
and  "shadow."  But  possibly  the  idea  of  safety  is 
more  strongly  conveyed  by  "  shadow  "  than  by  "  secret 
place,"  and  the  meaning  of  the  apparently  identical 
assertion  may  be,  that  he  who  quietly  enters  into 
communion  with  God  thereby  passes  into  His  protec- 
tion ;  or,  as  Kay  puts  it,  "  Loving  faith  on  man's  part 
shall  be  met  by  faithful  love  on  God's  part."  The  LXX. 
changes  the  person  of  "  will  say  "  in  ver.  2,  and  connects 
it  with  ver.  i  as  its  subject  (**  He  that  sits  .  .  .  that 
lodges  .  .  .  shall  say  ").  Ewald,  followed  by  Baethgen 
and  others,  regards  ver.  i  as  referring  to  the  "  I "  of 
ver.  2,  and  translates  "Sitting  ...  I  say."  Hupfeld, 
whom  Cheyne  follows,  cuts  the  knot  by  assuming  that 
"  Blessed  is  "  has  dropped  out  at  the  beginning  of  ver.  i, 
and  so  gets  a  smooth  run  of  construction  and  thought 
("  Happy  is  he  who  sits  .  .  .  who  lodges  .  .  .  who  says  "). 
It  is  suspiciously  smooth,  obliterates  the  characteristic 
change  of  persons,  of  which  the  psalm  has  other  in- 
stances, and  has  no  support  except  the  thought  that 
the  psalmist  would  have  saved  us  a  great  deal  of  trouble, 
if  he  had  only  been  wise  enough  to  have  written  so. 
The  existing  text  is  capable  of  a  meaning  in  accordance 
with  his  general  drift.  A  wide  declaration  like  that  of 
ver.  I  fittingly  preludes  the  body  of  the  song,  and 
naturally  evokes  the  pathetic  profession  of  faith  which 
follows. 

According  to  the  accents,  ver.  2  is  to  be  read  "  I  will 
say,  '  To  Jehovah  [belongs]  my  refuge,'  "  etc.  But  it 
is  better  to  divide  as  above.  Jehovah  is  the  refuge. 
The  psalmist  speaks  to  Him,  with  the  exclamation  of 
yearning  trust.  He  can  only  call  Him  by  precious 
names,  to  use  which,  in  however  broken  a  fashion,  is 
."  VOL.  III.  2 


1 8  THE  PSALMS 


an  appeal  that  goes  straight  to  His  heart,  as  it  comes 
straight  from  the  suppHant's.  The  singer  lovingly 
accumulates  the  Divine  names  in  these  two  first  verses. 
He  calls  God  "Most  High,"  "Almighty,"  when  he 
utters  the  general  truth  of  the  safety  of  souls  that  enter 
His  secret  place  ;  but,  when  he  speaks  his  own  trust, 
he  addresses  Jehovah,  and  adds  to  the  wide  designa- 
tion "God"  the  little  word  "my,"  which  claims  per- 
sonal possession  of  His  fulness  of  Deity.  The  solo 
voice  does  not  say  much,  but  it  says  enough.  There 
has  been  much  underground  work  before  that  clear  jet 
of  personal  "appropriating  faith"  could  spring  into 
light. 

We  might  have  looked  for  a  Selah  here,  if  this  psalm 
had  stood  in  the  earlier  books,  but  we  can  feel  the  brief 
pause  before  the  choral  answer  comes  in  vv.  3-8.  It 
sets  forth  in  lofty  poetry  the  blessings  that  such  a  trust 
secures.  Its  central  idea  is  that  of  safety.  That  safety 
is  guaranteed  in  regard  to  two  classes  of  dangers — those 
from  enemies,  and  those  from  diseases.  Both  are  con- 
ceived of  as  divided  into  secret  and  open  perils.  Ver.  3 
proclaims  the  trustful  soul's  immunity,  and  ver.  4  beau- 
tifully describes  the  Divine  protection  which  secures  it. 
Vv.  5,  6,  expand  the  general  notion  of  safety,  into 
defence  against  secret  and  open  foes  and  secret  and 
open  pestilences ;  while  vv.  7,  8,  sum  up  the  whole,  in 
a  vivid  contrast  between  the  multitude  of  victims  and 
the  man  sheltered  in  God,  and  looking  out  from  his 
refuge  on  the  wide-rolling  flood  of  destruction.  As  in 
Psalm  xviii.  5,  Death  is  represented  as  a  "  fowler"  into 
whose  snares  men  heedlessly  flutter,  unless  held  back 
by  God's  delivering  hand.  The  mention  of  pestilence 
in  ver.  3  somewhat  anticipates  the  proper  order,  as  the 
same   idea  recurs   in   its  appropriate  place  in  ver.   6. 


xci.]  THE  PSALMS  19 


Hence  the  rendering  "word,"  which  requires  no  con- 
sonantal change,  is  adopted  from  the  LXX.  by  several 
moderns.  But  that  is  feeble,  and  the  slight  irregularity 
of  a  double  mention  of  one  form  of  peril,  which  is 
naturally  suggested  by  the  previous  reference  to  Death, 
is  not  of  much  moment.  The  beautiful  description  of 
God  sheltering  the  trustful  man  beneath  His  pinions 
recalls  Deut.  xxxii.  1 1  and  Psalms  xvii.  8,  Ixiii.  7.  The 
mother  eagle,  spreading  her  dread  wing  over  her 
eaglets,  is  a  wonderful  symbol  of  the  union  of  power 
and  gentleness.  It  would  be  a  bold  hand  which  would 
drag  the  fledglings  from  that  warm  hiding-place  and 
dare  the  terrors  of  that  beak  and  claws.  But  this 
pregnant  verse  (4)  not  only  tells  of  the  strong  defence 
which  God  is,  but  also,  in  a  word,  sets  in  clear  light 
man's  way  of  reaching  that  asylum.  "  Thou  shalt 
take  refuge."  It  is  the  word  \yhich  is  often  vaguely 
rendered  "  trust,"  but  which,  if  we  retain  its  original 
signification,  becomes  illuminative  as  to  what  that  trust 
is.  The  flight  of  the  soul,  conscious  of  nakedness  and 
peril,  to  the  safe  shelter  of  God's  breast  is  a  descrip- 
tion of  faith  which,  in  practical  value,  surpasses  much 
learned  dissertation.  And  this  verse  adds  yet  another 
point  to  its  comprehensive  statements,  when,  changing 
the  figure,  it  calls  God's  Troth,  or  faithful  adherence  to 
His  promises  and  obligations,  our  "  shield  and  target." 
We  have  not  to  fly  to  a  dumb  God  for  shelter,  or  to 
risk  anything  upon  a  Perad venture.  He  has  spoken, 
and  His  word  is  inviolable.  Therefore,  trust  is  possible. 
And  between  ourselves  and  all  evil  we  may  lift  the 
shield  of  His  Troth.  His  faithfulness  is  our  sure 
defence,  and  Faith  is  our  shield  only  in  a  secondary 
sense,  its  office  being  but  to  grasp  our  true  defence, 
and  to  keep  us  well  behind  that. 


20  THE  PSALMS 

The  assaults  of  enemies  and  the  devastations  of 
pestilence  are  taken  in  vv.  5,  6,  as  types  of  all  perils. 
These  evils  speak  of  a  less  artificial  stage  of  society  than 
that  in  which  our  experience  moves,  but  they  serve  us  as 
symbols  of  more  complex  dangers  besetting  outward  and 
inward  life.  "The  terror  of  the  night"  seems  best  under- 
stood as  parallel  with  the  "  arrow  that  flies  by  day,"  in 
so  far  as  both  refer  to  actual  attacks  by  enemies.  Noc- 
turnal surprises  were  favourite  methods  of  assault  in 
early  warfare.  Such  an  explanation  is  worthier  than 
the  supposition  that  the  psalmist  means  demons  that 
haunt  the  night.  In  ver.  6  Pestilence  is  personified  as 
stalking,  shrouded  in  darkness,  the  more  terrible  beca;use 
it  strikes  unseen.  Ver.  6  b  has  been  understood,  as  by 
the  Targum  and  LXX.,  to  refer  to  demons  who  exercise 
their  power  in  noonday.  But  this  explanation  rests 
upon  a  misreading  of  the  word  rendered  "  devastates." 
The  other  translated  "  sickness  "  is  only  found,  besides 
this  place,  in  Deut.  xxxii.  24  ("  destruction ")  and 
Isa.  xxviii.  2  ("  a  destroying  storm,"  lit.  a  storm  of 
destruction),  and  in  somewhat  different  form  in  Hosea 
xiii.  14.  It  comes  from  a  root  meaning /o  cut,  and  seems 
here  to  be  a  synonym  for  pestilence.  Baethgen  sees 
in  "  the  arrow  by  day "  the  fierce  sunbeams,  and  in 
"  the  heat  (as  he  renders)  which  rages  at  noonday  "  the 
poisonous  simoom.  The  trustful  man,  sheltered  in  God, 
looks  on  while  thousands  fall  round  him,  as  Israel 
looked  from  their  homes  on  the  Passover  night,  and 
sees  that  there  is  a  God  that  judges  and  recompenses 
evil-doers  by  evil  suffered. 

Heartened  by  these  great  assurances,  the  single  voice 
once  more  declares  its  trust.  Ver.  9  a  is  best  separated 
from  h,  though  Hupfeld  here  again  assumes  that  "  thou 
hast  said  "  has  fallen  out  between  "  For"  and  "  Thou." 


xci.]  THE  PSALMS 


This  second  utterance  of  trust  is  almost  identical  with 
the  first.  Faith  has  no  need  to  vary  its  expression. 
"  Thou,  Jehovah,  art  my  refuge "  is  enough  for  it. 
God's  mighty  name  and  its  personal  possession  of  all 
which  that  name  means,  as  its  own  hiding-place,  are 
its  treasures,  which  it  does  not  weary  of  recounting. 
,  Love  loves  to  repeat  itself  The  deepest  emotions,  like 
song-birds,  have  but  two  or  three  notes,  which  they 
sing  over  and  over  again  all  the  long  day  through. 
He  that  can  use  this  singer's  words  of  trust  has  a 
vocabulary  rich  enough. 

The  responsive  assurances  (vv.  9^-13)  are,  in  like 
manner,  substantially  identical  with  the  preceding 
ones,  but  differences  may  be  discerned  by  which  these 
are  heightened  in  comparison  with  the  former.  The 
promise  of  immunity  is  more  general.  Instead  of  two 
typical  forms  of  danger,  the  widest  possible  exemption 
from  all  forms  of  it  is  declared  in  ver.  10.  No  evil 
shall  come  near,  no  scourge  approach,  the  "  tent "  of 
the  man  whose  real  and  permanent  "  dwelling-place  " 
is  Jehovah,  There  are  much  beauty  and  significance 
in  that  contrast  of  the  two  homes  in  which  a  godl}' 
man  lives,  housing,  as  far  as  his  outward  life  is  con- 
cerned, in  a  transitory  abode,  which  to-morrow  may 
be  rolled  up  and  moved  to  another  camping-place  in 
the  desert,  but  abiding,  in  so  far  as  his  true  being  is 
concerned,  in  God,  the  permanent  dwelling-place  through 
all  generations.  The  transitory  outward  life  has  reflected 
on  it  some  light  of  peaceful  security  from  that  true 
home.  It  is  further  noteworthy  that  the  second  group 
of  assurances  is  concerned  with  active  life,  while  the 
first  only  represented  a  passive  condition  of  safety 
beneath  God's  wing.  In  vv.  11,  12,  His  angels  take 
the  place  of  protectors,  and  the  sphere  in  which  they 


THE  PSALMS 


protect  is  "  in  all  thy  ways " — i.e.,  in  the  activities  of 
ordinary  life.  The  dangers  there  are  of  stumbling, 
whether  that  be  construed  as  referring  to  outward 
difficulties  or  to  temptations  to  sin. 

The  perils,  further  specified  in  ver.  13,  correspond 
to  those  of  the  previous  part  in  being  open  and  secret : 
the  lion  with  its  roar  and  leap,  the  adder  with  its 
stealthy  glide  among  the  herbage  and  its  unlooked-for 
bite.  So,  the  two  sets  of  assurances,  taken  together, 
cover  the  whole  ground  of  life,  both  in  its  moments  of 
hidden  communion  in  the  secret  place  of  the  Most 
High,  and  in  its  times  of  diligent  discharge  of  duty 
on  life's  common  way.  Perils  of  communion  and  perils 
of  work  are  equally  real,  and  equally  may  we  be  sheltered 
from  them.  God  Himself  spreads  His  wing  over  the 
trustful  man,  and  sends  His  messengers  to  keep  him, 
in  all  the  paths  appointed  for  him  by  God.  The  angels 
have  no  charge  to  take  stones  out  of  the  way.  Hinder- 
ances  are  good  for  us.  Smooth  paths  weary  and  make 
persumptuous.  Rough  ones  bring  out  our  best  and 
drive  us  to  look  to  God.  But  His  messengers  have 
for  their  task  to  lift  us  on  their  palms  over  difficulties, 
not  so  that  we  shall  not  feel  them  to  be  difficult,  but 
so  that  we  shall  not  strike  our  foot  against  them. 
Many  a  man  remembers  the  elevation  and  buoyancy  of 
spirit  which  strangely  came  to  him  when  most  pressed 
by  work  or  trouble.  God's  angels  were  bearing  him 
up.  Active  life  is  full  of  open  and  secret  foes  as  well 
as  of  difficulties.  He  that  keeps  near  to  God  will 
pass  unharmed  through  them  all,  and,  with  a  foot  made 
strong  and  firm  by  God's  own  power  infused  into  it, 
will  be  able  to  crush  the  life  out  of  the  most  formidable 
and  the  most  sly  assailants.  "  The  God  of  peace  shall 
bruise  Satan  under  your  feet  shortly." 


xci.]  THE  PSALMS  23 

Finally,  God  Himself  speaks,  and  confirms  and 
deepens  the  previous  assurances.  That  He  is  repre- 
sented as  speaking  of,  not  to,  His  servant  increases  the 
majesty  of  the  utterance,  by  seeming  to  call  the  universe 
to  hear,  and  converts  promises  to  an  individual  into 
promises  to  every  one  who  will  fulfil  the  requisite 
conditions.     These  are  threefold. 

God  desires  that  men  should  cling  to  Him,  know  His 
name,  and  call  on  Him.  The  word  rendered  "  cling  " 
includes  more  than  "  setting  love  upon  "  one.  It  means 
to  bind  or  knit  oneself  to  anything,  and  so  embraces 
the  cleaving  of  a  fixed  heart,  of  a  "  recollected  "  mind, 
and  of  an  obedient  will.  Such  clinging  demands  effort ; 
for  every  hand  relaxes  its  grasp,  unless  ever  and  again 
tightened.  He  who  thus  clings  will  come  to  "  know  " 
,  God's  "  name,"  with  the  knowledge  which  is  born  of 
experience,  and  is  loving  familiarity,  not  mere  intel- 
lectual apprehension.  Such  clinging  and  knowledge 
will  find  utterance  in  continual  converse  with  God, 
not  only  when  needing  deliverance,  but  in  perpetual 
aspiration  after  Him. 

The  promises  to  such  an  one  go  very  deep  and 
stretch  very  far.  "  I  will  deliver  him."  So  the 
previous  assurance  that  no  evil  shall  come  nigh  him 
is  explained  and  brought  into  correspondence  with  the 
facts  of  life.  Evil  may  be  experienced.  Sorrows  will 
come.  But  they  will  not  touch  the  central  core  of  the 
true  life,  and  from  them  God  will  deliver,  not  only  by 
causing  them  to  cease,  but  by  fitting  us  to  bear. 
Clinging  to  Him,  a  man  will  be  **  drawn  out  of  many 
waters,"  like  Peter  on  the  stormy  lake.  "  I  will  set  him 
on  high  "  is  more  than  a  parallel  promise  to  that  of 
deliverance.  It  includes  that ;  for  a  man  lifted  to  a 
height  is  safe  from  the  flood  that  sweeps  through  the 


24  THE  PSALMS 


valley,  or  from  the  enemies  that  ravage  the  plain.  But 
that  elevation,  which  comes  from  knowing  God's  name, 
brings  more  than  safety,  even  a  life  lived  in  a  higher 
region  than  that  of  things  seen.  "  I  will  answer  him." 
How  can  He  fail  to  hear  when  they  who  trust  Him 
cry  ?  Promises,  especially  for  the  troubled,  follow, 
which  do  not  conflict  with  the  earlier  assurances, 
rightly  understood.  "  I  will  be  with  him  in  trouble." 
God's  presence  is  the  answer  to  His  servant's  call. 
God  comes  nearer  to  devout  and  tried  souls,  as  a  mother 
presses  herself  caressingly  closer  to  a  weeping  child. 
So,  no  man  need  add  solitude  to  sadness,  but  may  have 
God  sitting  with  him,  like  Job's  friends,  waiting  to 
comfort  him  with  true  comfort.  And  His  presence 
delivers  from,  and  glorifies  after,  trouble  borne  as 
becomes  God's  friend.  The  bit  of  dull  steel  might 
complain,  if  it  could  feel,  of  the  pain  of  being  polished, 
but  the  result  is  to  make  it  a  mirror  fit  to  flash  back 
the  sunlight. 

"  With  length  of  days  will  I  satisfy  him "  is,  no 
doubt,  a  promise  belonging  more  especially  to  Old 
Testament  times  ;  but  if  we  put  emphasis  on  "  satisfy," 
rather  than  on  the  extended  duration,  it  may  fairly 
suggest  that,  to  the  trustful  soul,  life  is  long  enough, 
whatever  its  duration,  and  that  the  guest,  who  has 
sat  at  God's  table  here,  is  not  unwilling  to  rise  from 
it,  when  his  time  comes,  being  "satisfied  with  favour, 
and  full  of  the  goodness  of  the  Lord."  The  vision 
of  God's  salvation,  which  is  set  last,  seems  from  its 
position  in  the  series  to  point,  however  dimly,  to  a 
vision  which  comes  after  earth's  troubles  and  length 
of  days.  The  psalmist's  language  implies  not  a  mere 
casual  beholding,  but  a  fixed  gaze.  Delitzsch  renders 
"  revel  in  My  salvation  "  (English  translation).     Cheyne 


xci.]  THE  PSALMS  25 


has  "  feast  his  eyes  with."  Such  seeing  is  possession. 
The  crown  of  God's  promises  to  the  man  who  makes 
God  his  dweUing-place  is  a  full,  rapturous  experience 
of  a  full  salvation,  which  follows  on  the  troubles  and 
deliverances  of  earth,  and  brings  a  more  dazzling 
honour  and  a  more  perfect  satisfaction. 


PSALM    XCII. 

1  Good  is  it  to  give  thanks  to  Jehovah, 
And  to  harp  to  Thy  name,  Most  High  ; 

2  To  declare  in  the  morning  Thy  loving-kindness, 
And  thy  faithfulness  in  the  night  seasons, 

3  Upon  a  ten-stringed  [instrument],  even  upon  the  psaltery, 
With  skilful  music  on  the  lyre. 

4  For  Thou  hast  gladdened  me,  Jehovah,  with  Thy  working, 
In  the  works  of  Thy  hands  will  I  shout  aloud  my  joy. 

5  How  great  are  Thy  works,  Jehovah, 
Exceeding  deep  are  Thy  purposes  ! 

6  A  brutish  man  knows  not. 

And  a  fool  understands  not  this. 

7  When  the  wicked  sprang  like  herbage, 
And  all  the  workers  of  iniquity  blossomed, 

[It  was  only]  for  their  being  destroyed  for  ever. 

8  But  Thou  art  [enthroned]  on  high  for  evermore,  Jehovah  ! 

9  For  behold  Thy  enemies,  Jehovah, 
For  behold  Thy  enemies — shall  perish, 

All  the  workers  of  iniquity  shall  be  scattered. 

10  But  Thou  hast  exalted  my  horn  like  a  wild  ox, 
I  am  anointed  with  fresh  oil  (?). 

1 1  My  eye  also  gazed  on  my  adversaries. 

Of  them  that  rose  against  me  as  evil-doers  my  ear  heard. 

12  The  righteous  shall  spring  like  the  palm, 
Like  a  cedar  in  Lebanon  shall  he  grow. 

13  Planted  in  the  house  of  Jehovah, 

They  shall  spring  in  the  courts  of  our  God. 

14  Still  shall  they  bear  fruit  in  old  age. 
Full  of  sap  and  verdant  shall  they  be. 

15  To  declare  that  Jehovah  is  upright, 

My  Rock,  and  there  is  no  unrighteousness  in  Him. 
26 


xcii.]  THE  PSALMS  27 


AUTHORITIES  differ  in  their  arrangement  of  this 
psalm.  Clearly,  the  first  three  verses  are  a 
prelude ;  and  if  these  are  left  out  of  account,  the 
remainder  of  the  psalm  consists  of  twelve  verses,  which 
fall  into  two  groups  of  six  each,  the  former  of  which 
mainly  deals  with  the  brief  prosperity  and  final  over- 
throw of  the  wicked,  while  the  latter  paints  the  converse 
truth  of  the  security  and  blessedness  of  the  righteous. 
Both  illustrate  the  depth  of  God's  works  and  purposes, 
which  is  the  psalmist's  theme.  A  further  division  of 
each  of  these  six  verses  into  groups  of  three  is  adopted 
by  Delitzsch,  and  may  be  accepted.  There  will  then 
be  five  strophes  of  three  verses  each,  of  which  the  first 
is  introductory ;  the  second  and  third,  a  pair  setting 
forth  the  aspect  of  Providence  towards  the  wicked  ; 
and  the  fourth  and  fifth,  another  pair,  magnifying  its 
dealings  with  the  righteous.  Perowne  takes  the  eighth 
verse,  which  is  distinguished  by  containing  only  one 
clause,  as  the  kernel  of  the  psalm,  which  is  preceded 
by  seven  verses,  constituting  the  first  division,  and 
followed  by  seven,  making  the  second.  But  this 
arrangement,  though  tempting,  wrenches  ver.  9  from 
its  kindred  ver.  7. 

Vv.  1-3  are  in  any  case  introductory.  In  form  they 
are  addressed  to  Jehovah,  in  thankful  acknowledgment 
of  the  privilege  and  joy  of  praise.  In  reality  they  are 
a  summons  to  men  to  taste  its  gladness,  and  to  fill 
each  day  and  brighten  every  night  by  music  of  thanks- 
giving. The  devout  heart  feels  that  worship  is  "good," 
not  onl}''  as  being  acceptable  to  God  and  conformable 
to  man's  highest  duty,  but  as  being  the  source  of 
delight  to  the  worshipper.  Nothing  is  more  character- 
istic of  the  Psalter  than  the  joy  which  often  dances 
and    sings    through    its    strains.       Nothing    affords    a 


28  THE  PSALMS 


surer  test  of  the  reality  of  worship  than  the  worshipper's 
joy  in  it.  With  much  significance  and  beauty,  "  Thy 
loving-kindness  "  is  to  be  the  theme  of  each  morning, 
as  we  rise  to  a  new  day  and  find  His  mercy,  radiant 
as  the  fresh  sunshine,  waiting  to  bless  our  eyes,  and 
"  Thy  faithfulness  "  is  to  be  sung  in  the  night  seasons, 
as  we  part  from  another  day  which  has  witnessed  to 
His  fulfilment  of  all  His  promises. 

The  second  strophe  contains  the  reason  for  praise — 
namely,  the  greatness  and  depth  of  the  Divine  works 
and  purposes.  The  works  meant  are,  as  is  obvious 
from  the  whole  strain  of  the  psalm,  those  of  God's 
government  of  the  world.  The  theme  which  exercised 
earlier  psalmists  reappears  here,  but  the  struggles 
of  faith  with  unbelief,  which  are  so  profoundly 
and  pathetically  recorded  in  Psalm  Ixxiii.,  are  ended 
for  this  singer.  He  bows  in  trustful  adoration  before 
the  greatness  of  the  works  and  the  unsearchable 
depth  of  the  purpose  of  God  which  directs  the  works. 
The  sequence  of  vv.  4-6  is  noteworthy.  The  central 
place  is  occupied  by  ver.  5 — a  wondering  and  reverent 
exclamation,  evoked  by  the  very  mysteries  of  Providence. 
On  either  side  of  it  stand  verses  describing  the  con- 
trasted impression  made  by  these  on  devout  and  on 
gross  minds.  The  psalmist  and  his  fellows  are 
"gladdened,"  though  he  cannot  see  to  the  utmost 
verge  or  deepest  abyss  of  Works  or  Plans.  What  he 
does  see  is  good ;  and  if  sight  does  not  go  down  to 
the  depths,  it  is  because  eyes  are  weak,  not  because 
these  are  less  pellucid  than  the  sunlit  shallows.  What 
gladdens  the  trustful  soul,  which  is  in  sympathy  with 
God,  only  bewilders  the  "  brutish  man  " — i.e.,  the  man 
who,  by  immersing  his  faculties  in  sense,  has  descended 
to  the  animal  level ;  and  it  is  too  grave  and  weighty 


xcii.]  THE  PSALMS  29 

for  the  "  fool,"  the  man  of  incurable  levity  and  self- 
conceit,  to  trouble  himself  to  ponder.  The  eye  sees 
what  it  is  capable  of  seeing.  A  man's  judgment  of 
God's  dealings  depends  on  his  relation  to  God  and  on 
the  dispositions  of  his  soul. 

The  sterner  aspect  of  Providence  is  dealt  with  in  the 
next  strophe  (vv.  7-9).  Some  recent  signal  destruc- 
tion of  evil-doers  seems  to  be  referred  to.  It  exem- 
plifies once  more  the  old  truth  which  another  psalmist 
had  sung  (Psalm  xxxvii.  2),  that  the  prosperity  of  evil- 
doers is  short-lived,  like  the  blossoming  herbage,  and 
not  only  short-lived,  but  itself  the  occasion  of  their 
destruction.  The  apparent  success  of  the  wicked  is  as 
a  pleasant  slope  that  leads  downwards.  The  quicker 
the  blossoming,  the  sooner  the  petals  fall.  "  The 
prosperity  of  fools  shall  destroy  them."  As  in  the 
previous  strophe  the  middle  verse  was  central  in  idea 
as  well  as  in  place,  so  in  this  one.  Ver.  8  states  the 
great  fact  from  which  the  overthrow  of  the  wicked, 
which  is  declared  in  the  verses  before  and  after,  results. 
God's  eternal  elevation  above  the  Transitory  and  the 
Evil  is  not  merely  contrasted  with  these,  but  is  assigned 
as  the  reason  why  what  is  evil  is  transitory.  We  might 
render  "Thou,  Jehovah,  art  high  (lit,  a  height)  for  ever- 
more," as,  in  effect,  the  LXX.  and  other  old  versions 
do ;  but  the  application  of  such  an  epithet  to  God  is 
unexampled,  and  the  rendering  above  is  preferable. 
God's  eternal  exaltation  "  is  the  great  pillar  of  the 
universe  and  of  our  faith  "  (Perowne).  From  it  must 
one  day  result  that  all  God's  enemies  shall  perish,  as 
the  psalmist  reiterates,  with  triumphant  reduplication 
of  the  designation  of  the  foes,  as  if  he  would  make 
plain  that  the  very  name  "  God's  enemies "  contained 
a   prophecy   of   their    destruction.       However   closely 


30  THE  PSALMS 


banded,  they  "  shall  be  scattered."  Evil  may  make 
conspiracies  for  a  time,  for  common  hatred  of  good 
brings  discordant  elements  into  strange  fellowship,  but 
in  its  real  nature  it  is  divisive,  and,  sooner  or  later, 
allies  in  wickedness  become  foes,  and  no  two  of  them 
are  left  together.  The  only  lasting  human  association 
is  that  which  binds  men  to  one  another,  because  all 
are  bound  to  God. 

From  the  scattered  fugitives  the  psalmist  turns  first 
to  joyful  contemplation  of  his  own  blessedness,  and 
then  to  wider  thoughts  of  the  general  well-being  of  all 
God's  friends.  The  more  personal  references  are  com- 
prised in  the  fourth  strophe  (w.  10-12).  The  metaphor 
of  the  exalted  horn  expresses,  as  in  Psalms  Ixxv.  10, 
Ixxxix.  17,  triumph  or  the  vindication  of  the  psalmist 
by  his  deliverance.  Ver.  10  b  is  very  doubtful.  The 
word  usually  rendered  **  I  am  anointed  "  is  peculiar. 
Another  view  of  the  word  takes  it  for  an  infinitive  used 
as  a  noun,  with  the  meaning  "growing  old,"  or,  as 
Cheyne  renders,  *'  wasting  strength."  This  translation 
("  my  wasting  strength  with  rich  oil ")  is  that  of  the 
LXX.  and  other  ancient  versions,  and  of  Cheyne  and 
Baethgen  among  moderns.  If  adopted,  the  verb  must 
be  understood  as  repeated  from  the  preceding  clause, 
and  the  slight  incongruit}'  thence  arising  can  be  lessened 
by  giving  a  somewhat  wider  meaning  to  "exalted," 
such  as  "  strengthen  "  or  the  like.  The  psalmist  would 
then  represent  his  deliverance  as  being  like  refreshing 
a  failing  old  age,  by  anointing  with  fresh  oil. 

Thus  triumphant  and  quickened,  he  expects  to  gaze 
on  the  downfall  of  his  foes.  He  uses  the  same  expres- 
sion as  is  found  in  Psalm  xci.  8,  with  a  similar  con- 
notation of  calm  security,  and  possibly  of  satisfaction. 
There    is    no    need    for    heightening    his    feelings   into 


xciL]  THE  PSALMS  31 

"  desire,"  as  in  the  Authorised  and  Revised  Versions. 
The  next  clause  (ver.  i\U)  "seems  to  have  been 
expressly  framed  to  correspond  with  the  other ;  it 
occurs  nowhere  else  in  this  sense  "  (Perowne).  A  less 
personal  verse  (ver.  12)  forms  the  transition  to  the  last 
strophe,  which  is  concerned  with  the  community  of  the 
righteous.  Here  the  singular  number  is  retained.  By 
"  the  righteous "  the  psalmist  does  not  exactly  mean 
himself,  but  he  blends  his  own  individuality  with  that 
of  the  ideal  character,  so  that  he  is  both  speaking  of  his 
own  future  and  declaring  a  general  truth.  The  wicked 
"  spring  like  herbage"  (ver.  7),  but  the  righteous  "spring 
like  the  palm."  The  point  of  comparison  is  apparently 
the  gracefulness  of  the  tree,  which  hfts  its  slender  but 
upright  stem,  and  is  ever  verdant  and  fruitful.  The 
cedar  in  its  massive  strength,  its  undecaying  vigour, 
and  the  broad  shelves  of  its  foliage,  green  among  the 
snows  of  Lebanon,  stands  in  strong  contrast  to  the 
palm.  Gracefulness  is  wedded  to  strength,  and  both 
are  perennial  in  lives  devoted  to  God  and  Right.  Evil 
blooms  quickly,  and  quickly  dies.  What  is  good  lasts. 
One  cedar  outlives  a  hundred  generations  of  the  grass 
and  flowers  that  encircle  its  steadfast  feet. 

The  last  part  extends  the  thoughts  of  ver.  12  to 
all  the  righteous.  It  does  not  name  them,  for  it  is 
needless  to  do  so.  Imagery  and  reality  are  fused 
together  in  this  strophe.  It  is  questionable  whether 
there  were  trees  planted  in  the  courts  of  the  Temple ; 
but  the  psalmist's  thought  is  that  the  righteous  will 
surely  be  found  there,  and  that  it  is  their  native  soil,  in 
which  rooted,  they  are  permanent.  The  facts  under- 
lying the  somewhat  violent  metaphor  are  that  true 
righteousness  is  found  only  in  the  dwellers  with  God, 
that  they  who  anchor  themselves  in  Him,  as  a  tree  in 


THE  PSALMS 


the  earth,  are  both  stayed  on,  and  fed  from,  Him. 
The  law  of  physical  decay  does  not  enfeeble  all  the 
powers  of  devout  men,  even  while  they  are  subject  to 
it.  As  aged  palm  trees  bear  the  heaviest  clusters,  so 
lives  which  are  planted  in  and  nourished  from  God 
know  no  term  of  their  fruitfulness,  and  are  full  of  sap 
and  verdant,  when  lives  that  have  shut  themselves  off 
from  Him  are  like  an  old  stump,  gaunt  and  dry,  fit 
only  for  firewood.  Such  lives  are  prolonged  and  made 
fruitful,  as  standing  proofs  that  Jehovah  is  upright, 
rewarding  all  cleaving  to  Him  and  doing  of  His  will, 
with  conservation  of  strength,  and  ever-growing  power 
to  do  His  will. 

Ver.  15  is  a  reminiscence  of  Deut.  xxxii.  4.  The 
last  clause  is  probably  to  be  taken  in  connection 
with  the  preceding,  as  by  Cheyne  ("  And  that  in  my 
Rock  there  is  no  unrighteousness  ").  But  it  may  also 
be  regarded  as  a  final  avowal  of  the  psalmist's  faith, 
the  last  result  of  his  contemplations  of  the  mysteries  of 
Providence.  These  but  drive  him  to  cling  close  to 
Jehovah,  as  his  sole  refuge  and  his  sure  shelter,  and  to 
ring  out  this  as  the  end  which  shall  one  day  be  mani- 
fest as  the  net  result  of  Providence — that  there  is  no 
least  trace  of  unrighteousness  in  Him. 


PSALM    XCIII. 

1  Jehovah  is  King,  with  majesty  has  He  clothed  Himself, 
Jehovah  has  clothed  Himself,  has  girded  Himself  with  strength, 
Yea,  the  world  is  set  fast  [that]  it  cannot  be  moved. 

2  Fast  is  set  Thy  throne  from  of  yore, 
From  eternity  art  Thou. 

3  The  streams,  Jehovah,  have  lifted  up, 
The  streams  have  lifted  up  their  voice, 
The  streams  lift  up  their  tumult. 

4  Above  the  voices  of  many  waters. 
Mighty  [waters],  ocean  breakers. 
Mightier  is  Jehovah  on  high. 

5  Thy  testimonies  are  utterly  to  be  trusted  : 
Holiness  fits  Thy  house, 

Jehovah,  for  length  of  days. 

THIS  is  the  first  of  a  group  of  psalms  celebrating 
Jehovah  as  King.  It  is  followed  by  one  which 
somewhat  interrupts  the  unity  of  subject  in  the  group, 
but  may  be  brought  into  connection  with  them  by 
being  regarded  as  hymning  Jehovah's  kingly  and 
judicial  providence,  as  manifested  in  the  subjugation  of 
rebels  against  His  throne.  The  remaining  members  of 
the  group  (Psalms  xcv.-c.)  rise  to  a  height  of  lyric  ex- 
ultation in  meditating  on  the  reign  of  Jehovah.  Psalms 
xciii.  and  xciv.  arc  followed  by  two  (xcv  :  vi.)  beginning 
with  ringing  calls  for  new  songs  to  hail  the  new  mani- 
festation of  Himself,  by  which  Jehovah  has,  as  it  were, 
inaugurated  a  new  stage  in  His  visible  reign  on  earth. 
Psalm  xcvii.  again  breaks  out  into  the  joyful  proclama- 
voL.  III.  33  3 


34  THE  PSALMS 


tion  "  Jehovah  is  King,"  which  is  followed,  as  if  by  a 
chorus,  with  a  repeated  summons  for  a  new  song  (Psalm 
xcviii.).  Once  more  the  proclamation  "  Jehovah  is  King  " 
is  sounded  out  in  Psalm  xcix.,  and  then  the  group  is 
closed  by  Psalm  c,  with  its  call  to  all  lands  to  crowd 
round  Jehovah's  throne  with  "  t\amult  of  acclaim." 
Probably  the  historical  fact  underlying  this  new  con- 
viction of,  and  triumph  in,  the  Kingdom  of  Jehovah  is 
the  return  from  exile.  But  the  tone  of  prophetic  antici- 
pation in  these  exuberant  hymns  of  confident  joy  can 
scarcely  fail  of  recognition.  The  psalmists  sang  of  an 
ideal  state  to  which  their  most  glorious  experiences  but 
remotely  approximated.  They  saw  "not  yet  all  things 
put  under  Him,"  but  they  were  sure  that  He  is  King, 
and  they  were  as  sure,  though  with  the  certitude  of 
faith  fixed  on  His  word  and  not  with  that  of  sight,  that 
His  universal  dominion  would  one  day  be  universally 
recognised  and  rejoiced  in. 

This  short  psalm  but  strikes  the  keynote  for  the 
group.  It  is  overture  to  the  oratorio,  prelude  of  the 
symphony.  Jehovah's  reign,  the  stability  of  His 
throne,  the  consequent  fixity  of  the  natural  order.  His 
supremacy  over  all  noisy  rage  of  opposition  and  law- 
lessness, either  in  Nature  or  among  men,  are  set  forth 
with  magnificent  energy  and  brevity.  But  the  King  of 
the  world  is  not  a  mere  Nature-compelling  Jove.  He 
has  spoken  to  men,  and  the  stability  of  the  natural 
order  but  faintly  shadows  the  firmness  of  His  "testi- 
monies," which  are  worthy  of  absolute  reliance,  and 
which  make  the  souls  that  do  rely  on  them  stable  as 
the  firm  earth,  and  steadfast  with  a  steadfastness 
derived  from  Jehovah's  throne.  I  le  not  only  reigns 
over,  but  dwells  among,  men,  and  His  power  keeps  His 
dwelling-place  inviolate,  and  lasting  as  His  reign. 


xciii.l  THE  PSALMS  35 

Ver.  I  describes  an  act  rather  than  a  state.  "Jehovah 
has  become  King "  by  some  specific  manifestation  of 
His  sovereignty.  Not  as  though  He  had  not  been 
King  before,  as  ver.  2  immediately  goes  on  to  point 
out,  but  that  He  has  shown  the  world,  by  a  recent  deed, 
the  eternal  truth  that  He  reigns.  His  coronation  has 
been  by  His  own  hands.  No  others  have  arrayed  Him 
in  His  royal  robes.  The  psalmist  dwells  with  emphatic 
reiteration  on  the  thought  that  Jehovah  has  clothed 
Himself  vfiih.  majesty  and  girded  Himself  with  strength. 
All  the  stability  of  Nature  is  a  consequence  of  His 
self-created  and  self-manifested  power.  That  Strength 
holds  a  reeling  world  steady.  The  psalmist  knew 
nothing  about  the  fixity  of  natural  law,  but  his  thought 
goes  down  below  that  fixity,  and  finds  its  reason  in  the 
constant  forth-putting  of  Divine  power.  Ver.  2  goes 
far  back  as  well  as  deep  down  or  high  up,  when  it 
travels  into  the  dim,  unbounded  past,  and  sees  there, 
amidst  its  mists,  one  shining,  solid  substance,  Jehovah's 
throne,  which  stood  firm  before  every  "  then."  The 
word  rendered  y>-o;«  of  yore  is  literally  "from  then,"  as 
if  to  express  the  priority  of  that  throne  to  every  period 
of  defined  time.  And  even  that  grand  thought  can  be 
capped  by  a  grander  climax  :  "  From  eternity  art  Thou." 
Therefore  the  world  stands  firm. 

But  there  are  things  in  the  firm  world  that  are 
not  firm.  There  are  "  streams  "  or  perhaps  "  floods," 
which  seem  to  own  no  control,  in  their  hoarse  dash 
and  devastating  rush.  The  sea  is  ever  the  symbol 
of  rebellious  opposition  and  of  ungoverned  force.  Here 
both  the  natural  and  symbolic  meanings  are  present. 
And  the  picture  is  superbly  painted.  The  sound  of 
the  blows  of  the  breakers  against  the  rocks,  or  as  they 
clash  with  each  other,  is  vividly  repeated  in  the  word 


36  THE  PSALMS 


rendered  "tumult,"  which  means  rather  a  blow  or 
collision,  and  here  seems  to  express  the  thud  of  the 
waves  against  an  obstacle. 

Ver.  4  is  difficult  to  construe.  The  word  rendered 
"  mighty  "  is,  according  to  the  accentuation,  attached 
to  *'  breakers,"  but  stands  in  an  unusual  position  if  it 
is  to  be  so  taken.  It  seems  better  to  disregard  the 
accents,  and  to  take  "  mighty "  as  a  second  adjective 
belonging  to  "waters."  These  will  then  be  described 
as  both  multitudinous  and  proud  in  their  strength, 
while  "  ocean  breakers "  will  stand  in  apposition 
to  waters.  Jehovah's  might  is  compared  with  these. 
It  would  be  but  a  poor  measure  of  it  to  say  that 
it  was  more  than  they  ;  but  the  comparison  means 
that  He  subdues  the  floods,  and  proves  His  power 
by  taming  and  calming  them.  Evidently  we  are 
to  see  shining  through  the  nature-picture  Jehovah's 
triumphant  subjugation  of  rebellious  men,  which  is 
one  manifestation  of  His  kingly  power.  That  dominion 
is  not  such  as  to  make  opposition  impossible.  Antago- 
nism of  the  wildest  sort  neither  casts  doubt  on  its 
reality  nor  impinges  a  hair's-breadth  on  its  sovereignty. 
All  such  futile  rebellion  will  be  subdued.  The  shriek 
of  the  storm,  the  dash  of  the  breakers,  will  be  hushed 
when  He  says  "  Peace,"  and  the  highest  toss  of  their 
spray  does  not  wet,  much  less  shake,  His  stable  throne. 
Such  was  the  psalmist's  faith  as  he  looked  out  over  a 
revolted  world.  Such  may  well  be  ours,  who  "  hear 
a  deeper  voice  across  the  storm." 

That  sweet  closing  verse  comes  by  its  very  abrupt- 
ness with  singular  impressiveness.  We  pass  from 
wild  commotion  into  calm.  Jehovah  speaks,  and  His 
words  are  witnesses  both  of  what  He  is  and  of  what 
men  should  and  may  be.     Power  is  not  an  object  for 


xciii.]  THE  PSALMS  37 

trust  to  fasten  on,  unless  it  is  gracious,  and  gives  men 
account  of  its  motives  and  ends.  Words  are  not 
objects  for  trust  to  fasten  on,  unless  they  have  power 
for  fulfilment  behind  them.  But  if  the  King,  who  sets 
fast  earth  and  bridles  seas,  speaks  to  us,  we  may 
utterly  confide  in  His  word,  and,  if  we  do,  we  shall 
share  in  His  stable  being,  in  so  far  as  man  is  capable 
of  resemblance  to  the  changeless  God.  Trust  in  firm 
promises  is  the  secret  of  firmness.  Jehovah  has  not 
only  given  Israel  His  word,  but  His  house,  and  His 
kingly  power  preserves  His  dwelling-place  from  wrong. 
"  Holiness "  in  vcr.  5  expresses  an  attribute  of 
Jehovah's  house,  not  a  quality  of  the  worshippers 
therein.  It  cannot  but  be  preserved  from  assault,  since 
He  dwells  there.  A  king  who  cannot  keep  his  own 
palace  safe  from  invaders  can  have  little  power.  If 
this  psalm  is,  as  it  evidently  is,  post-exilic,  how  could 
the  singer,  remembering  the  destruction  of  the  Temple, 
speak  thus  ?  Because  he  had  learned  the  lesson  of 
that  destruction,  that  the  earthly  house  in  which  Jehovah 
dwelt  among  men  had  ceased  to  be  His,  by  reason  of  the 
sins  of  its  fiequenters.  Therefore,  it  was  "  burned  with 
fire."  The  profaned  house  is  no  longer  Jehovah's,  but, 
as  Jesus  said  with  strong  emphasis  on  the  first  word, 
"  Yoitr  house  is  left  unto  you  desolate."  The  Kingship 
of  Jehovah  is  proclaimed  eloquently  and  tragically  by 
the  desolated  shrine. 


PSALM    XCIV. 

1  God  of  vengeances,  Jehovah, 
God  of  vengeances,  shine  forth. 

2  Lift  up  Thyself,  Judge  of  the  earth, 
Return  recompense  to  the  proud. 

3  For  how  long,  Jehovah,  shall  the  wicked, 
For  how  long  shall  the  wicked  exult  ? 

4  They  well  out,  they  speak — arrogance, 

They  give  themselves  airs  like  princes — all  these  workers 
of  iniquity. 

5  Thy  people,  Jehovah,  they  crush  in  pieces. 
And  Thine  inheritance  they  afflict. 

6  Widow  and  stranger  they  kill, 
And  orphans  they  murder. 

7  And  they  say,  "  Jah  sees  [it]  not. 

And  the  God  of  Jacob  considers  it  not." 

8  Consider,  ye  brutish  among  the  people, 
And  ye  fools,  when  will  ye  be  wise  ? 

9  The  Planter  of  the  ear,  shall  He  not  hear? 
Or  the  Former  of  the  eye,  shall  He  not  sec  ? 

10  The  Instructor  of  the  nations,  shall  He  not  puni.sh, — 
The  Teacher  of  knowledge  to  man  ? 

11  Jehovah  knows  the  thoughts  of  men, 
For  they  are  [but]  a  breath. 

12  Happy  the  man  whom  Thou  instructest,  Jehovah, 
And  teachest  from  Thy  law, 

13  To  give  him  rest  from  the  days  of  evil, 
Till  there  be  digged  for  the  wicked  a  pit. 

14  For  Jehovah  will  not  spurn  away  His  people, 
And  His  inheritance  He  will  not  forsake. 

15  For  lo  righteousness  shall  judgment  return. 

And  after  it  shall  all  the  upright  in  heart  [follow]. 
38 


xciv.]  THE  PSALMS  39 

16  Who  will  rise  up  for  mc  against  the  evil-doers  ? 
Who  will  set  himself  for  me  against  the  workers  of 

iniquity  ? 

17  Unless  Jehovah  had  been  a  help  for  me, 
My  soul  had  soon  dwelt  in  silence. 

iS  When  I  sa3',  "My  foot  slips," 

Thy  loving-kindness,  Jehovah,  staj's  mc. 

19  In  the  multitude  of  my  divided  thoughts  within  me, 
'I'hy  comforts  delight  my  soul. 

20  Can  the  throne  of  destruction  be  confederate  with  Thee, 
Which  frameth  mischief  by  statute? 

21  They  come  in  troops  against  the  soul  of  the  righteous, 
And  innocent  blood  they  condemn. 

22  But  Jehovah  is  to  me  a  high  tower. 
And  my  God  the  rock  of  my  refuge. 

23  And  He  brings  back  upon  them  their  iniquities, 
And  by  their  own  evil  will  He  root  them  out, 
Jehovah  our  God  will  root  them  out. 

THE  theme  of  God  the  Judge  is  closely  allied  to 
that  of"  God  the  King,  as  other  psalms  of  this 
group  show,  in  which  His  coming  to  judge  the  world 
is  the  subject  of  rapturous  praise.  This  psalm  hymns 
Jehovah's  retributive  sway,  for  which  it  passionately 
cries,  and  in  which  it  confidently  trusts.  Israel  is 
oppressed  by  insolent  rulers,  who  have  poisoned  the 
fountains  of  justice,  condemning  the  innocent,  enacting 
unrighteous  laws,  and  making  a  prey  of  all  the  helpless. 
These  "judges  of  Sodom  "  are  not  foreign  oppressors, 
for  they  are  "among  the  people";  and  even  while  they 
scoff  at  Jehovah's  judgments  they  call  Him  by  His 
covenant  names  of  "  Jah  "  and  "  God  of  Jacob."  There 
is  no  need,  therefore,  to  look  beyond  Israel  for  the 
originals  of  the  dark  picture,  nor  does  it  supply  data 
for  fixing  the  period  of  the  psalm. 

The  structure  and  course  of  thought  are  transparent. 
First  comes  an  invocation  to  God  as  the  Judge  of  the 
earth   (vv.    i ,   2) ;    then  follow  groups  of  four  verses 


40  THE   PSALMS 


each,  subdivided  into  pairs, — the  first  of  these  (vv.  3-6) 
pictures  the  doings  of  the  oppressors ;  the  second  (vv. 
7-1 1 )  quotes  their  delusion  that  their  crimes  are  unseen 
by  Jehovah,  and  refutes  their  dream  of  impunity,  and 
it  is  closed  by  a  verse  in  excess  of  the  normal  number, 
emphatically  asserting  the    truth    which    the    mockers 
denied.     The  third  group  declares  the   blessedness  of 
the  men  whom  God  teache.s,  and  the  certainty  of  His 
retribution    to    vindicate    the    cause    of    the    righteous 
(vv.    12-15).     Then    follow  the    singer's  own   cry    for 
help  in  his  own   need,  as  one  of  the  oppressed  com- 
munity, and  a  sweet  reminiscence  of  former  aid,  which 
calms    his    present    anxieties.     The    concluding    group 
goes  back  to  description  of  the  lawless  law-makers  and 
their  doings,  and  ends  with  trust  that  the  retribution 
prayed  for  in  the  first  verses  will  verily  be  dealt  out  to 
them,  and  that  thereby  both  the  singer,  as  a  member 
of  the  nation,   and   the  community  will  find  Jehovah, 
who  is  both  "  my  God  "  and  "  our  God,"  a  high  tower. 
The   reiterations    in    the   first    two   verses    are    not 
oratorical    embellishments,   but   reveal    intense    feeling 
and  pressing  need.     It  is  a  cold  prayer  which  contents 
itself  with  one  utterance.     A  man  in  straits  continues 
to  cry  for  help  till  it  comes,  or  till  he  sees  it  coming. 
To  this  singer,  the  one  aspect  of  Jehovah's  reign  which 
was  forced  on  him  by  Israel's  dismal  circumstances  was 
the  judicial.     There  are  times  when  no  thought  of  God 
is  so  full  of  strength  as  that  He  is  "  the  God  of  recom- 
penses," as  Jeremiah  calls  Him  (li.  56),  and  when  the 
longing  of  good  men  is  that  He  would  flash  forth,  and 
slay  evil  by  the  brightness  of  His  coming.     They  who 
have  no  profound  loathing  of  sin,  or  who  have  never 
felt  the  crushing  weight  of  legalised  wickedness,  may 
shrink   from    such    aspirations  as    the   psalmist's,    and 


xciv.]  THE  PSALMS  41 

brand  them  as  ferocious ;  but  hearts  longing  for  the 
triumph  of  righteousness  will  not  take  offence  at  them. 

The  first  group  (vv.  3-6)  lifts  the  cry  of  suffering 
Faith,  which  has  almost  become  impatience,  but  turns 
to,  not  from,  God,  and  so  checks  complaints  of  His 
delay,  and  converts  them  into  prayer.  "  How  long,  O 
Lord  ?  "  is  the  burden  of  many  a  tried  heart ;  and  the 
Seer  heard  it  from  the  souls  beneath  the  altar.  This 
psalm  passes  quickly  to  dilate  on  the  crimes  of  the 
rulei*s  which  forced  out  that  prayer.  The  portrait  has 
many  points  of  likeness  to  that  drawn  in  Psalm  Ixxiii. 
Here,  as  there,  boastful  speech  and  haughty  carriage 
are  made  prominent,  being  put  before  even  cruelty  and 
oppression.  "  They  well  out,  they  speak — arrogance  "  : 
both  verbs  have  the  same  object.  Insolent  self-exalta- 
tion pours  from  the  fountain  of  their  pride  in  copious 
jets.  "  They  give  themselves  airs  like  princes."  The 
verb  in  this  clause  may  mean  to  say  among  themselves 
or  to  boast,  but  is  now  usually  regarded  as  meaning 
to  behave  like  a  prince — i.e.,  to  carry  oneself  insolently. 
Vain-glorious  arrogance  manifest  in  boasting  speech 
and  masterful  demeanour  characterises  Eastern  rulers, 
especially  those  who  have  risen  from  low  origin.  Every 
little  village  tyrant  gave  himself  airs,  as  if  he  were  a 
king ;  and  the  lower  his  rank,  the  greater  his  insolence. 
These  oppressors  were  grinding  the  nation  to  powder, 
and  what  made  their  crime  the  darker  was  that  it 
was  Jehovah's  people  and  inheritance  which  they  thus 
harassed.  Helplessness  should  be  a  passport  to  a  ruler's 
care,  but  it  had  become  a  mark  for  murderous  attack. 
Widow,  stranger,  and  orphan  are  named  as  types  of 
defencelessness. 

Nothing  in  this  strophe  indicates  that  these  oppres- 
sors   are    foreigners.       Nor    does    the    delusion    that 


4a  THE  PSALMS 


Jehovah  neither  saw  nor  cared  for  their  doings,  which 
the  next  strophe  (vv.  7-1 1)  states  and  confutes,  imply 
that  they  were  so.  Cheyne,  indeed,  adduces  the  name 
**  God  of  Jacob,"  which  is  put  into  their  mouths,  as 
evidence  that  they  are  pictured  as  knowing  Jehovah 
only  as  one  among  many  tribal  or  national  deities ;  but 
the  name  is  too  familiar  upon  the  lips  of  Israelites,  and 
its  use  by  others  is  too  conjectural,  to  allow  of  such  a 
conclusion.  Rather,  the  language  derives  its  darkest 
shade  from  being  used  by  Hebrews,  who  are  thereby 
declaring  themselves  apostates  from  God  as  well  as 
oppressors  of  His  people.  Their  mad,  practical  atheism 
makes  the  psalmist  blaze  up  in  indignant  rebuke  and 
impetuous  argumentation.  He  turns  to  them,  and 
addresses  them  in  rough,  plain  words,  strangely  con- 
trasted with  their  arrogant  utterances  regarding  them- 
selves. They  are  "brutish"  (cf.  Psalm  Ixxiii.  22)  and 
"  fools."  The  psalmist,  in  his  height  of  moral  indigna- 
tion, towers  above  these  petty  tyrants,  and  tells  them 
home  truths  very  profitable  for  such  people,  however 
dangerous  to  their  utterer.  There  is  no  obligation  to 
speak  smooth  words  to  rulers  whose  rule  is  injustice 
and  their  religion  impiety.  Ahab  had  his  Elijah,  and 
Herod  his  John  Baptist.  The  succession  has  been 
continued  through  the  ages. 

Delitzsch  and  others,  who  take  the  oppressors  to  be 
foreigners,  are  obliged  to  suppose  that  the  psalmist 
turns  in  ver.  8  to  those  Israelites  who  had  been  led 
to  doubt  God  by  the  prosperity  of  the  wicked  ;  but 
there  is  nothing,  except  the  exigencies  of  that  mistaken 
supposition,  to  show  that  any  others  than  the  denicrs 
of  God's  providence  who  have  just  been  quoted  are 
addressed  as  "  among  the  people."  Their  denial  was 
the  more    inexcusable,   because  they  belonged    to    the 


xciv.l  THE  PSALMS  43 

people  whose  history  was  one  long  proof  that  Jehovah 
did  see  and  recompense  evil.  Two  considerations  are 
urged  by  the  psalmist,  who  becomes  for  the  moment 
a  philosophical  theologian,  in  confutation  of  the  error 
in  question.  First,  he  argues  that  nothing  can  be  in 
the  effect  which  is  not  in  the  cause,  that  the  Maker  of 
men's  eyes  cannot  be  blind,  nor  the  Planter  of  their 
cars  deaf  The  thought  has  wide  applications.  It 
hits  the  centre,  in  regard  to  many  modern  denials  as 
well  as  in  regard  to  these  blunt,  ancient  ones.  Can 
a  universe  plainly  full  of  purpose  have  come  from  a 
purposeless  source  ?  Can  finite  persons  have  emerged 
from  an  impersonal  Infinity?  Have  we  not  a  right 
to  argue  upwards  from  man's  make  to  God  his  maker, 
and  to  find  in  Him  the  archetype  of  all  human  capacity. 
We  may  mark  that,  as  has  been  long  ago  observed, 
the  psalm  avoids  gross  anthropomorphism,  and  infers, 
not  that  the  Creator  of  the  ear  has  ears,  but  that  He 
hears.  As  Jerome  (quoted  by  Delitzsch)  says,  "Membra 
sustulit,  efficientias  dedit." 

In  ver.  lO  a  second  argument  is  employed,  which  turns 
on  the  thought  that  God  is  the  educator  of  mankind. 
That  office  of  instructor  cannot  be  carried  out  unless 
He  is  also  their  chastiser,  when  correction  is  needed. 
The  psalmist  looks  beyonds  the  bounds  of  Israel,  the 
recipient  of  special  revelation  (cf  ver.  12),  and  recog- 
nises, what  seldom  appears  in  the  Old  Testament,  but 
is  unquestionably  there,  the  great  thought  that  He  is 
teaching  all  mankind  b}^  manifold  wa3^s,  and  especially 
by  the  law  written  in  their  hearts.  Jewish  particularism, 
the  exaggeration  into  a  lie  of  the  truth  of  God's  special 
revelation  to  Israel,  came  to  forget  or  deny  God's 
education  of  mankind.  Alas  that  the  same  mistake 
was  inherited  by  so  many  epochs  of  the  Church  1 


44  THE  PSALMS 


The  teaching  of  the  strophe  is  gathered  up  in  ver.  1 1, 
which  exceeds  the  normal  number  of  four  verses  in 
each  group,  and  asserts  strong!}'  the  conclusion  for 
which  the  psalmist  has  been  arguing.  The  rendering 
of  b  is,  "  For  (not  That)  they  {i.e.  men)  are  but  a 
breath."  "  The  ground  of  the  Omniscience  which  sees 
the  thoughts  of  men  through  and  through  is  profoundly 
laid  in  the  vanity,  i.e.  the  finiteness,  of  men,  as  the 
correlative  of  the  Infiniteness  of  God  "  (Hupfeld). 

In  the  strophe  vv.  12-15,  the  psalmist  turns  from 
the  oppressors  to  their  victims,  the  meek  of  the  earth, 
and  changes  his  tone  from  fiery  remonstrance  to 
gracious  consolation.  The  true  point  of  view  from 
which  to  regard  the  oppressors'  wrong  is  to  see  in 
it  part  of  God's  educational  processes.  Jehovah,  who 
"  instructs  "  all  men  by  conscience,  "  instructs  "  Israel, 
and  by  the  Law  "  teaches  "  the  right  interpretation  of 
such  afflictive  providences.  Happy  he  who  accepts 
that  higher  education  !  A  further  consolation  lies  in 
considering  the  purpose  of  the  special  revelation  to 
Israel,  which  will  be  realised  in  patient  hearts  that 
are  made  wise  thereby — namely,  calm  repose  of  sub- 
mission and  trust,  wliich  are  not  disturbed  by  any 
stormy  weather.  There  is  possible  for  the  harassed 
man  "peace  subsisting  at  the  heart  of  endless  agitation." 

If  we  recognise  that  life  is  mainly  educational,  we 
shall  neither  be  astonished  nor  disturbed  by  sorrows. 
It  is  not  to  be  wondered  at  that  the  schoolmaster  has 
a  rod,  and  uses  it  sometimes.  There  is  rest  from  evil 
even  while  in  evil,  if  we  understand  the  purpose  of 
evil.  Yet  another  consolation  lies  in  the  steadfast 
anticipation  of  its  transiency  and  of  the  retribution 
measured  to  its  doers.  That  is  no  unworthy  source 
of  comfort.     And    the    ground    on    which    it    rests    is 


xciv.]  THE  PSALMS  45 


the  impossibility  of  God's  forsaking  His  people,  His 
inheritance.  These  designations  of  Israel  look  back 
to  ver.  5,  where  the  crushed  and  afflicted  are  designated 
by  the  same  words.  Israel's  relation  to  Jehovah  made 
the  calamities  more  startling ;  but  it  also  makes  their 
cessation,  and  retribution  for  them  on  their  inflicters, 
more  certain.  It  is  the  trial  and  triumph  of  Faith  to 
be  sure,  while  tyrants  grind  and  crush,  that  Jehovah 
has  not  deserted  their  victims.  He  cannot  change  His 
purpose ;  therefore,  sorrows  and  prosperity  are  but 
divergent  methods,  concurring  in  carrying  out  His 
unalterable  design.  The  individual  sufferer  may  take 
comfort  from  his  belonging  to  the  community  to  which 
the  presence  of  Jehovah  is  guaranteed  for  ever.  The 
singer  puts  his  convictions  as  to  what  is  to  be  the 
upshot  of  all  the  perplexed  riddles  of  human  affairs 
into  epigrammatic  form,  in  the  obscure,  gnome-like 
saying,  "To  righteousness  shall  judgment  return," 
by  which  he  seems  to  mean  that  the  administration 
of  justice,  which  at  present  was  being  trampled  under 
foot,  "  shall  come  back  to  the  eternal  principle  of  all 
judicial  action,  namely,  righteousness," — in  shorter 
words,  there  shall  be  no  schism  between  the  judgments 
of  earthly  tribunals  and  justice.  The  psalmist's  hope 
is  that  of  all  good  men  and  sufferers  from  unjust 
rulers.  All  the  upright  in  heart  long  for  such  a  state 
of  things  and  follow  after  it,  either  in  the  sense  of 
delight  in  it  ("  Dem  Recht  miissen  alle  frommen  Herzen 
zufallen  " — Luther),  or  of  seeking  to  bring  it  about.  The 
psalmist's  hope  is  realised  in  the  King  of  Men,  whose 
own  judgments  are  truth,  and  who  infuses  righteous- 
ness and  the  love  of  it  into  all  who  trust  in  Him. 

The  singer  comes  closer  to   his   own   experience  in 
the  next  strophe  (vv.   16-19),  i"  which  he  claims  his 


46  THE  PSALMS 


share  in  these  general  sources  of  rest  and  patience, 
and  thankfully  thinks  of  past  times,  when  he  found  that 
they  yielded  him  streams  in  the  desert.  He  looks  out 
upon  the  multitude  of  "  evil-doers,"  and,  for  a  moment, 
asks  the  question  which  faithless  sense  is  ever  suggest- 
ing and  pronouncing  unanswerable  :  "  Where  shall  I 
find  a  champion  ?  "  As  long  as  our  eyes  range  along 
the  level  of  earth,  they  see  none  such.  But  the  empty 
earth  should  turn  our  gaze  to  the  occupied  throne. 
There  sits  the  Answer  to  our  almost  despairing  ques- 
tion. Rather,  there  He  stands,  as  the  proto-martyr 
saw  Him,  risen  to  His  feet  in  swift  readiness  to  help 
His  servant.  Experience  confirms  the  hope  of  Jehovah's 
aid ;  for  unless  in  the  past  He  had  been  the  singer's 
help,  he  could  not  have  lived  till  this  hour,  but  must 
have  gone  down  into  the  silent  land.  No  man  who 
still  draws  breath  is  without  tokens  of  God's  sufficient 
care  and  ever-present  help.  The  mystery  of  continued 
life  is  a  witness  for  God.  And  not  only  does  the  past 
thus  proclaim  where  a  man's  help  is,  but  devout  re- 
flection on  it  will  bring  to  light  many  times  when 
doub^ts  and  tremors  were  disappointed.  Conscious 
weakness  appeals  to  confirming  strength.  If  we  feel 
our  foot  giving,  and  fling  up  our  hands  towards  Him, 
He  will  grasp  them  and  steady  us  in  the  most  slippery 
places.  Therefore,  when  divided  thoughts  (for  so  the 
picturesque  word  employed  in  ver.  19  means)  hesitate 
between  hope  and  fear,  God's  consolations  steal  into 
agitated  minds,  and  there  is  a  great  calm. 

The  last  strophe  (vv.  20-23)  weaves  together  in  the 
finale,  as  a  musician  does  in  the  last  bars  of  his 
composition,  the  main  themes  of  the  psalm — the  evil 
deeds  of  unjust  rulers,  the  trust  of  the  psalmist,  his 
confidence   in  the  final  annihilation  of  the  oppressors, 


xciv.]  THE  PSALMS  47 

and  the  consequent  manifestation  of  God  as  the  God 
of  Israel.  The  height  of  crime  is  reached  when  rulers 
use  the  forms  of  justice  as  masks  for  injustice,  and 
give  legal  sanction  to  "mischief."  The  ancient  world 
groaned  under  such  travesties  of  the  sanctity  of  Law  ; 
and  the  modern  world  is  not  free  from  them.  The 
question  often  tortures  faithful  hearts,  "  Can  such 
doings  be  sanctioned  by  God,  or  in  any  way  be  allied 
to  Him  ?  "  To  the  psalmist  the  worst  part  of  these 
rulers'  wickedness  was  that,  in  his  doubting  moments, 
it  raised  the  terrible  suspicion  that  God  was  perhaps 
on  the  side  of  the  oppressors.  But  when  such  thoughts 
came  surging  on  him,  he  fell  back,  as  we  all  have  to 
do,  on  personal  experience  and  on  an  act  of  renewed 
trust.  He  remembered  what  God  had  been  to  him 
in  past  moments  of  peril,  and  he  claimed  Him  for  the 
same  now,  his  own  refuge  and  fortress.  Strong  in 
that  individual  experience  and  conviction,  he  won  the 
confidence  that  all  which  Jehovah  had  to  do  with  the 
throne  of  destruction  was,  not  to  connive  at  its  evil, 
but  to  overthrow  it  and  root  out  the  evil-doers,  whose 
own  sin  will  be  their  ruin.  Then  Jehovah  will  be 
known,  not  only  for  the  God  who  belongs  to,  and 
works  for,  the  single  soul,  but  who  is  "  our  God,"  the 
refuge  of  the  community,  who  will  not  forsake  His 
inheritance. 


PSALM    XCV. 

1  Come,  let  us  raise  shrill  cries  of  joy  to  Jehovah, 
Let  us  shout  aloud  to  the  Rock  of  our  Salvation. 

2  Let  us  go  to  meet  His  face  with  thanksgiving, 
With  songs  let  us  shout  aloud  to  Him. 

3  For  Jehovah  is  a  great  God, 
And  a  great  King  above  all  gods. 

4  In  whose  hand  are  the  deep  places  of  the  earth, 
And  the  peaks  of  the  mountains  are  His. 

5  Whose  is  the  sea,  and  He  made  it. 
And  the  dry  land  His  hands  formed. 

6  Come,  let  us  worship  and  bow  down. 
Let  us  kneel  before  Jehovah  our  Maker, 

7  For  He  is  our  God, 

And  we  are  the  people  of  His  pasture  and  the  sheep  of 
His  hand. 

To-day,  if  ye  would  listen  to  His  voice, 

8  Harden  not  your  hearts,  as  [at]  Meribah, 
As  [in]  the  day  of  Massah  in  the  wilderness, 

9  Where  your  fathers  tempted  Me, 
Proved  Mc  and  saw  My  work. 

10  Forty  years  loathed  I  [that]  generation, 

And  said,  "A  people  going  astray  in  heart  are  they, 
And  they  know  not  My  ways." 

1 1  So  that  I  sware  in  My  wrath, 

"Surely  they  shall  not  come  into  My  rest." 

THIS  psalm  is  obviously  divided  into  two  parts, 
but  there  is  no  reason  for  seeing  in  these  two 
originally  unconnected  fragments.  Rather  does  each 
part  derive  force  from  the  other ;  and  nothing  is  more 
natural  than  that,  after  the  congregation  has  spoken  its 
joyful   summons  to   itself  to  worship,  Jehovah  should 

48 


xcv.]  THE   PSALMS  49 


speak  warning  words  as  to  the  requisite  heart-prepara- 
tion, without  which  worship  is  vain.  The  supposed 
fragments  are  fragmentary  indeed,  if  considered  apart. 
Surel}'  a  singer  has  the  hbcrty  of  being  abrupt  and  of 
suddenly  changing  his  tone.  Surely  he  may  as  well 
be  credited  with  discerning  the  harmony  of  the  change 
of  key  as  some  later  compiler.  There  could  be  no  more 
impressive  way  of  teaching  the  conditions  of  acceptable 
worship  than  to  set  side  by  side  a  glad  call  to  praise 
and  a  solemn  warning  against  repeating  the  rebellions 
of  the  wilderness.  These  would  be  still  more  appro- 
priate if  this  were  a  post-exilic  hymn  ;  for  the  second 
return  from  captivity  would  be  felt  to  be  the  analogue 
of  the  first,  and  the  dark  story  of  former  hard-hearted- 
ness  would  fit  very  close  to  present  circumstances. 

The  invocation  to  praise  in  vv.  i,  2,  gives  a  striking 
picture  of  the  joyful  tumult  of  the  Temple  worship. 
Shrill  cries  of  gladness,  loud  shouts  of  praise,  songs 
with  musical  accompaniments,  rang  simultaneously 
through  the  courts,  and  to  Western  ears  would  have 
sounded  as  din  rather  than  as  music,  and  as  more 
exuberant  than  reverent.  The  spirit  expressed  is, 
alas !  almost  as  strange  to  many  moderns  as  the 
manner  of  its  expression.  That  swelling  joy  which 
throbs  in  the  summons,  that  consciousness  that  jubila- 
tion is  a  conspicuous  element  in  worship,  that  effort  to 
rise  to  a  height  of  joyful  emotion,  are  very  foreign  to 
much  of  our  worship.  And  their  absence,  or  presence 
only  in  minute  amount,  flattens  much  devotion,  and 
robs  the  Church  of  one  of  its  chief  treasures.  No 
doubt,  there  must  often  be  sad  strains  blended  with 
praise.  But  it  is  a  part  of  Christian  duty,  and  certainly 
of  Christian  wisdom,  to  try  to  catch  that  tone  of  joy  in 
worship  which  rings  in  this  psalm. 

VOL.  III.  4 


so  THE  PSALMS 


The  three  following  verses  (3-5)  give  Jehovah's 
creative  and  sustaining  power,  and  His  consequent 
ownership  of  this  fair  world,  as  the  reasons  for  wor- 
ship. He  is  King  by  right  of  creation.  Surely  it  is 
forcing  unnatural  meanings  on  words  to  maintain  that 
the  psalmist  believed  in  the  real  existence  of  the 
"gods  "  whom  he  disparagingly  contrasts  with  Jehovah. 
The  fact  that  these  were  worshipped  sufficiently  war- 
rants the  comparison.  To  treat  it  as  in  any  degree 
inconsistent  with  Monotheism  is  unnecessary,  and 
would  scarcely  have  occurred  to  a  reader  but  for  the 
exigencies  of  a  theor3^  The  repeated  reference  to  the 
"  hand "  of  Jehovah  is  striking.  In  it  are  held  the 
deeps ;  it  is  a  plastic  hand,  "  forming "  the  land,  as 
a  potter  fashioning  his  clay  ;  it  is  a  shepherd's  hand, 
protecting  and  feeding  his  flock  (ver.  7).  The  same 
power  created  and  sustains  the  physical  universe,  and 
guides  and  guards  Israel.  The  psalmist  has  no  time 
for  details ;  he  can  onl}-  single  out  extremes,  and  leave 
us  to  infer  that  what  is  true  of  these  is  true  of  all 
that  is  enclosed  between  them.  The  depths  and  the 
heights  are  Jehovah's.  The  word  rendered  "  peaks  "  is 
doubtful.  Etymologically  it  should  mean  "  fatigue,"  but 
it  is  not  found  in  that  sense  in  any  of  the  places  where 
it  occurs.  The  parallelism  requires  the  meaning  of 
heights  to  contrast  with  depths,  and  this  rendering  is 
found  in  the  LXX.,  and  is  adopted  by  most  moderns. 
The  word  is  then  taken  to  come  from  a  root  meaning 
"  to  be  high."  Some  of  those  who  adopt  the  translation 
summits  attempt  to  get  that  meaning  out  of  the  root 
vacawmg /atigt4C,  by  supposing  that  the  labour  of  getting 
to  the  top  of  the  mountain  is  alluded  to  in  the  name. 
Thus  Kay  renders  "  the  mountains'  toilsome  heights," 
and  so  also  Hengstcnberg.     But  it  is  simpler  to  trace 


xcv.]  THE  PSALMS  51 

the  word  to  the  other  root,  to  be  high.  The  ownerless 
sea  is  owned  by  Him;  He  made  both  its  watery  waste 
and  the  soHd  earth. 

But  that  all-creating  Hand  has  put  forth  more  won- 
drous energies  than  those  of  which  heights  and  depths, 
sea  and  land,  witness.  Therefore,  the  summons  is 
again  addressed  to  Israel  to  bow  before  "Jehovah  our 
Maker."  The  creation  of  a  people  to  serve  Him  is  the 
work  of  His  grace,  and  is  a  nobler  effect  of  His  power 
than  material  things.  It  is  remarkable  that  the  call  to 
glad  praise  should  be  associated  with  thoughts  of  His 
greatness  as  shown  in  creation,  while  lowly  reverence 
is  enforced  by  remembrance  of  His  special  relation  to 
Israel.  We  should  have  expected  the  converse.  The 
revelation  of  God's  love,  in  His  work  of  creating  a 
people  for  Himself,  is  most  fittingly  adored  by  spirits 
prostrate  before  Him.  Another  instance  of  apparent 
transposition  of  thoughts  occurs  in  ver.  7  b,  where  we 
might  have  expected  "  people  of  His  hand  and  sheep  of 
His  pasture."  Hupfeld  proposes  to  correct  accordingly, 
and  Cheyne  follows  him.  But  the  correction  buys 
prosaic  accuracy  at  the  cost  of  losing  the  forcible 
incorrectness  which  blends  figure  and  fact,  and  by 
keeping  sight  of  both  enhances  each.  "  The  sheep  of 
His  hand  "  suggests  not  merely  the  creative  but  the 
sustaining  and  protecting  power  of  God.  It  is  hallowed 
for  ever  by  our  Lord's  words,  which  may  be  an  echo  of 
it :  "  No  man  is  able  to  snatch  them  out  of  the  Father's 
hand." 

The  sudden  turn  from  jubilant  praise  and  recogni- 
tion of  Israel's  prerogative  as  its  occasion  to  grave 
warning  is  made  more  impressive  by  its  occurring  in 
the  middle  of  a  verse.  God's  voice  breaks  in  upon  the 
joyful  acclamations  with  solemn  effect.     The  shouts  of 


52  THE  PSALMS 


the  adoring  multitude  die  on  the  poet's  trembling  ear, 
as  that  deeper  Voice  is  heard.  We  cannot  persuade 
ourselves  that  this  magnificent  transition,  so  weighty 
with  instruction,  so  fine  in  poetic  effect,  is  due  to  the 
after-thought  of  a  compiler.  Such  an  one  would  surely 
have  stitched  his  fragments  more  neatly  together  than 
to  make  the  seam  run  through  the  centre  of  a  verse — 
an  irregularity  which  would  seem  small  to  a  singer  in 
the  heat  of  his  inspiration.  Vei\  7  c  may  be  either 
a  wish  or  the  protasis  to  the  apodosis  in  ver.  8.  "If 
ye  would  but  listen  to  His  voice  1  "  is  an  exclamation, 
made  more  forcible  by  the  omission  of  what  would 
happen  then.  But  it  is  not  necessary  to  regard  the 
clause  as  optative.  The  conditional  meaning,  which 
connects  it  with  what  follows,  is  probably  preferable, 
and  is  not  set  aside  by  the  expression  "  His  voice  " 
instead  of  "  My  voice  "  ;  for  "  similar  change  of  per- 
sons is  very  common  in  utterances  of  Jehovah,  especially 
in  the  Prophets"  (Hupfeld).  "To-day"  stands  first 
with  strong  emphasis,  to  enforce  the  critical  character 
of  the  present  moment.  It  may  be  the  last  opportunity. 
At  all  events,  it  is  an  opportunity,  and  therefore  to  be 
grasped  and  used.  A  doleful  history  of  unthankfulness 
lay  behind  ;  but  still  the  Divine  voice  sounds,  and  still 
the  fleeting  moments  offer  space  for  softening  of  heart 
and  docile  hearkening.  The  madness  of  delay  when 
time  is  hurrying  on,  and  the  longsuffering  patience  of 
God,  are  wonderfully  proclaimed  in  that  one  word,  which 
the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews  lays  hold  of,  with  so  deep 
insight,  as  all-important. 

The  warning  points  Israel  back  to  ancestral  sins, 
the  tempting  of  God  in  the  second  year  of  the  Exodus, 
by  the  demand  for  water  (Exod.  xvii.  1-7).  The  scene 
of  that  nnu-niuring  received  both  names,  Mas.'^ah  (tt-nipta- 


xcv.]  THE  PSALMS  53 

tion)  and  Meribah  (strife).  It  is  difficult  to  decide  the 
exact  force  of  ver.  g  b.  "Saw  My  work"  is  most 
naturally  taken  as  referring  to  the  Divine  acts  of  de- 
liverance and  protection  seen  by  Israel  in  the  desert, 
which  aggravated  the  guilt  of  their  faithlessness.  But 
the  word  rendered  "  and  "  will,  in  that  case,  have  to  be 
taken  as  meaning  "although  " — a  sense  which  cannot  be 
established.  It  seems  better,  therefore,  to  take  "  work  " 
in  the  unusual  meaning  of  acts  of  judgment — His 
"  sti-ange  work."  Israel's  tempting  of  God  was  the 
more  indicative  of  hardheartedness  that  it  was  persisted 
in,  in  spite  of  chastisements.  Possibly  both  thoughts 
are  to  be  combined,  and  the  whole  varied  stream  of 
blessings  and  punishments  is  referred  to  in  the  wide 
expression.  Both  forms  of  God's  work  should  have 
touched  these  hard  hearts.  It  mattered  not  whether 
He  blessed  or  punished.  They  were  impervious  to 
both.  The  awful  issue  of  this  obstinate  rebellion  is 
set  forth  in  terrible  words.  The  sensation  of  physical 
loathing  followed  by  sickness  is  daringly  ascribed  to 
God.  We  cannot  but  remember  what  John  heard  in 
Patmos  from  the  lips  into  which  grace  was  poured  : 
"  I  will  spue  thee  out  of  My  mouth." 

But  before  He  cast  Israel  out.  He  pled  with  them,  as 
ver.  \0  b  goes  on  to  tell:  "He  said,  'A  people  going 
astray  in  heart  are  they.' "  He  said  so,  by  many  a  prophet 
and  many  a  judgment,  in  order  that  they  might  come 
back  to  the  true  path.  The  desert-wanderings  were 
but  a  symbol,  as  they  were  a  consequence,  of  their 
wanderings  in  heart.  They  did  not  know  His  ways  ; 
therefore  they  chose  their  own.  They  strayed  in  heart ; 
therefore  they- had  an  ever-increasing  ignorance  of  the 
right  road.  For  the  averted  heart  and  the  blind  under- 
standing produce  each  other. 


54  THE  PSALMS 


The  issue  of  the  long-protracted  departure  from  the 
path  which  God  had  marked  was,  as  it  ever  is,  con- 
demnation to  continue  in  the  pathless  wilderness,  and 
exclusion  from  the  land  of  rest  which  God  had  promised 
them,  and  in  which  He  Himself  had  said  that  He  would 
make  His  resting-place  in  their  midst.  But  what  befell 
Israel  in  outward  fact  was  symbolical  of  universal 
spiritual  truth.  The  hearts  that  love  devious  ways 
can  never  be  restful.  The  path  which  leads  to  calm 
is  traced  by  God,  and  only  those  who  tread  it  with 
softened  hearts,  earnestly  listening  to  His  voice,  will 
find  repose  even  on  the  road,  and  come  at  last  to  the 
land  of  peace.  For  others,  they  have  chosen  the  desert, 
and  in  it  they  will  wander  wearily,  "  for  ever  roaming 
with  a  hungry  heart." 

The  author  of  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews  is  laying 
hold  of  the  very  kernel  of  the  psalm,  when  he  adduces 
the  fact  that,  so  many  centuries  after  Moses,  the  warning 
was  still  addressed  to  Israel,  and  the  possibility  of 
entering  the  Rest  of  God,  and  the  danger  of  missing  it, 
still  urged,  as  showing  that  the  Rest  of  God  remained  to 
be  won  by  later  generations,  and  proclaiming  the  eternal 
truth  that  "  we  which  have  believed  do  enter  into  rest." 


PSALM    XCVI. 

1  Sing  to  Jehovah  a  new  song, 
Sing  to  Jeho%'ah,  all  the  earth. 

2  Sing  to  Jehovah,  bless  His  name, 

Publish  the  glad  tidings  of  His  salvation  from  day  to  day. 

3  Recount  among  the  nations  His  glory. 
Among  all  peoples  His  wonders. 

4  For  great  is  Jehovah,  and  to  be  praised  excecdingl}', 
Dread  is  He  above  all  gods. 

5  For  all  the  gods  of  the  people  are  Nothings, 
And  Jehovah  made  the  heavens. 

6  Honour  and  majesty  are  before  Him, 
Strength  and  beauty  are  in  His  sanctuary. 

7  Give  to  Jehovah,  ye  families  of  the  peoples, 
Give  to  Jehovah  glory  and  strength. 

8  Give  to  Jehovah  the  glory  of  His  name. 
Take  an  offering  and  come  into  His  courts. 

9  Worship  Jehovah  in  holy  attire. 
Tremble  before  Him,  all  the  earth. 

10  Say  among  the  nations,  "Jehovah  is  Kingi," 

Yea,  the  world  is  set  fast  [that]  it  cannot  be  moved, 
He  shall  deal  judgment  to  the  peoples  in  equity. 

1 1  Let  the  heavens  rejoice  and  let  the  earth  exult. 
Let  the  sea  thunder  and  its  fulness, 

12  Let  the  plain  rejoice  arid  all  that  is  in  it, 

Then  shall  all  the  trees  of  the  forest  ring  out  joyful  cries, 

13  Before  Jehovah,  for  He  comes. 
He  comes  to  judge  the  earth, 

He  will  judge  the  world  in  righteousness. 
And  peoples  in  His  faithfulness. 

THE  praise  of  Jehovah  as  King  has,  in  the  preceding 
psalms,  chiefly  celebrated  His  reign  over  Israel. 
But  this  grand  coronation  anthem  takes  a  wider  sweep, 
and  hymns  that  kingdom  as  extending  to  all  nations, 

.S5 


56  THE  PSALMS 


and  as  reaching  beyond  men,  for  the  joy  and  blessing  of 
a  renovated  earth.  It  falls  into  four  strophes,  of  which 
the  first  three  contain  three  verses  each,  while  the  last 
extends  to  four.  These  strophes  are  like  concentric 
circles,  drawn  round  that  eternal  throne.  The  first 
summons  Israel  to  its  high  vocation  of  Jehovah's 
evangelist,  the  herald  who  proclaims  the  enthronement 
of  the  King.  The  second  sets  Him  above  all  the 
**  Nothings  "  which  usurp  the  name  of  gods,  and  thus 
prepares  the  way  for  His  sole  monarchy.  The  third 
summons  outlying  nations  to  bring  their  homage,  and 
flings  open  the  Temple  gates  to  all  men,  inviting  them 
to  put  on  priestly  robes,  and  do  priestly  acts  there. 
The  fourth  calls  on  Nature  in  its  heights  and  depths, 
heaven  and  earth,  sea,  plain  and  forest,  to  add  their 
acclaim  to  the  shouts  which  hail  the  establishment  of 
Jehovah's  visible  dominion. 

The  song  is  to  be  new,  because  a  new  manifestation 
of  Jehovah's  Kinghood  has  wakened  once  more  the 
long-silent  harps,  which  had  been  hung  on  the  willows 
of  Babylon.  The  psalm  is  probably  a  lyric  echo  of 
the  Restoration,  in  which  the  prophet-singer  sees 
the  beginning  of  Jehovah's  world-wide  display  of  His 
dominion.  He  knew  not  how  many  weary  years  were 
to  pass  in  a  weary  and  God-defying  world,  before  his 
raptures  became  facts.  But  though  His  vision  tarries, 
His  song  is  no  over-heated  imagining,  which  has  been 
chilled  down  for  succeeding  generations  into  a  baseless 
hope.  The  perspective  of  the  world's  chronology  hid 
from  him  the  deep  valley  between  His  standpoint  and 
the  fulfilment  of  his  glowing  words.  Mankind  still 
marches  burdened,  down  among  the  mists,  but  it 
marches  towards  the  sunlit  heights.  The  call  to  sing 
a  new  song  is  quoted  from   Isa.  xlii.    lO.      The  word 


xcvi.]  THE  PSALMS  57 

in  ver.  2  b  rendered  "  publish  glad  tidings  "  is  also  a 
favourite  word  with  Isaiah  II.  (xl.  9,  Hi.  7,  etc.).  Ver.  3  a 
closely  resembles  Isa.  Ixvi.  19. 

The  second  strophe  is  full  of  allusions  to  earlier 
psalms  and  prophets.  The  new  manifestation  of 
Jehovah's  power  has  vindicated  His  supremacy  above 
the  vanities  which  the  peoples  call  gods,  and  has  thereby 
given  new  force  to  old  triumphant  words  which  mag- 
nified His  exalted  name.  Long  ago  a  psalmist  had 
sung,  after  a  signal  defeat  of  assailants  of  Jerusalem, 
that  God  was  "great  and  greatl}^  to  be  praised  "  (Psalm 
xlviii.  i),  and  this  psalmist  makes  the  old  words  new. 
"  Dread  "  reminds  us  of  Psalm  xlvii.  2.  The  con- 
temptuous name  of  the  nations'  gods  as  "Nothings"  is 
fi^equent  in  Isaiah.  The  heavens,  which  roof  over  all 
the  earth,  declare  to  every  land  Jehovah's  creative 
power,  and  His  supremacy  above  all  gods.  But  the 
singer's  eye  pierces  their  abysses,  and  sees  some 
gleams  of  that  higher  sanctuar}'  of  which  they  are 
but  the  floor.  There  stand  Honour  and  Majesty, 
Strength  and  Beauty.  The  psalmist  does  not  speak  of 
"attributes."  His  vivid  imagination  conceives  of  these 
as  servants,  attending  on  Jehovah's  royal  state.  What- 
soever things  are  lovely,  and  whatsoever  are  august, 
are  at  home  in  that  sanctuary.  Strength  and  beauty 
are  often  separated  in  a  disordered  world,  and  each 
is  maimed  thereby,  but,  in  their  perfection,  they  are 
indissolubly  blended.  Men  call  many  things  strong 
and  fair  which  have  no  affinity  with  holiness  ;  but  the 
archetypes  of  both  excellences  are  in  the  Holy  Place, 
and  any  strength  which  has  not  its  roots  there  is 
weakness,  and  any  beauty  which  is  not  a  reflection 
from  "  the  beauty  of  the  Lord  our  God  "  is  but  a  mask 
concealing  ugliness. 


58  THE  PSALMS 


The  third  strophe  builds  on  this  supremacy  of 
Jehovah,  whose  dwelling-place  is  the  seat  of  all  things 
worthy  to  be  admired,  the  summons  to  all  nations  to 
render  praise  to  Him.  It  is  mainly  a  variation  of 
Psalm  xxix,  I,  2,  where  the  summons  is  addressed  to 
angels.  Here  "  the  families  of  the  peoples  "  are  called 
on  to  ascribe  to  Jehovah  "  glory  and  strength,"  or  "the 
glory  of  His  name  (/>.,  of  His  character  as  revealed). 
The  call  presupposes  a  new  manifestation  of  His 
Kingship,  as  conspicuous  and  earth-shaking  as  the 
thunder-storm  of  the  original  psalm.  As  in  it  the 
"  sons  of  God  "  were  called  to  worship  in  priestly  garb, 
so  here,  still  more  emphatically,  Gentile  nations  are 
invited  to  assume  the  priestly  office,  to  "  take  an  offer- 
ing and  come  into  His  courts."  The  issue  of  Jehovah's 
manifestation  of  kingly  sway  will  be  that  Israel's 
prerogative  of  priestly  access  to  Him  will  be  extended 
to  all  men,  and  that  the  lowly  worship  of  earth  will 
have  characteristics  which  assimilate  it  to  that  of  the 
elder  brethren  who  ever  stand  before  Him,  and  also 
characteristics  which  distinguish  it  from  that,  and  are 
necessary  while  the  worshippers  are  housed  in  flesh. 
Material  offerings  and  places  consecrated  to  worship 
belong  to  earth.  The  "  sons  of  God  "  above  have  them 
not,  for  they  need  them  not. 

The  last  strophe  has  four  verses,  instead  of  the 
normal  three.  The  psalmist's  chief  purpose  in  it  is 
to  extend  his  summons  for  praise  to  the  whole  creation  ; 
but  he  cannot  refrain  from  once  more  ringing  out  the 
glad  tidings  for  which  praise  is  to  be  rendered.  He 
falls  back  in  ver.  lo  on  Psalm  xciii.  i,  and  Psalm  ix.  8. 
In  his  quotation  from  the  former  psalm,  he  brings 
more  closely  together  the  thoughts  of  Jehovah's  reign 
and  the  fixity  of  the  world,  whether  that  is  taken  with 


xcvi.]  THE  PSALMS  59 

a  material  reference,  or  as  predicting  the  calm  per- 
petuity of  the  moral  order  established  by  His  merciful 
rule  and  equitable  judgment.  The  thought  that  inani- 
mate nature  will  share  in  the  joy  of  renovated  humanity 
inspires  many  glowing  prophetic  utterances,  eminently 
those  of  Isaiah — as,  e.g.,  Isa.  xxxv.  The  converse 
thought,  that  it  shared  in  the  consequences  of  man's 
sin,  is  deeply  stamped  on  the  Genesis  narrative.  The 
same  note  is  struck  with  unhesitating  force  in  Rom.  viii., 
and  elsewhere  in  the  New  Testament.  A  poet  invests 
Nature  with  the  hues  of  his  own  emotions,  but  this 
summons  of  the  psalmist  is  more  than  poetry.  How 
the  transformation  is  to  be  effected  is  not  revealed, 
but  the  consuming  fires  will  refine,  and  at  last  man 
will  have  a  dwelling-place  where  environment  will 
correspond  to  character,  where  the  external  will  image 
the  inward  state,  where  a  new  form  of  the  material 
will  be  the  perpetual  ally  of  the  spiritual,  and  perfected 
manhood  will  walk  in  a  "  new  heaven  and  new  earth, 
where  dwelleth  righteousness." 

In  the  last  verse  of  the  psalm,  the  singer  appears  to 
extend  his  prophetic  gaze  from  the  immediate  redeem- 
ing act  by  which  Jehovah  assumes  royal  majesty,  to 
a  still  future  "  coming,"  in  which  He  will  judge  the 
earth.  "  The  accession  is  a  single  act ;  the  judging 
is  a  continual  process.  Note  that  'judging'  has  no 
terrible  sound  to  a  Hebrew  "  (Cheyne,  ///  loc).  Ver.  13  c 
is  again  a  verbatim  quotation  from  Psalm  ix.  8. 


PSALM    XCVII. 

1  Jehovah  is  King,  let  the  earth  exult, 
Let  many  lands  be  glad. 

2  Cloud  and  deep  darkness  are  round  Him, 
Righteousness  and  judgment  are  the  foundation  of  His 

throne. 

3  Fire  goes  before  Him, 

And  devours  His  enemies  round  about. 

4  His  lightnings  lighted  up  the  world. 
The  earth  saw  and  trembled. 

5  Mountains  melted  like  wax,  from  before  the  face  of  Jehox'ah, 
From  before  the  face  of  the  Lord  of  the  whole  earth. 

6  The  heavens  declared  His  righteousness, 
And  all  the  peoples  saw  His  glory. 

7  Shamed  are  all  they  who  serve  graven  images, 
Who  boast  themselves  of  the  Nothings. 
Worship  Him,  all  ye  gods! 

8  Zion  heard  and  was  glad, 

And  the  daughters  of  Judah  exulted, 
Because  of  Thy  judgments,  Jehovah. 

9  For  Thou,  Jehovah,  art  most  high  above  all  the  earth, 
Thou  art  exceedingly  exalted  above  all  gods. 

10  Ye  who  love  Jehovah,  hate  evil ; 

He  keeps  the  souls  of  His  favoured  ones. 
From  the  hand  of  the  wicked  He  delivers  them. 

11  Light  is  sown  for  the  righteous  man, 
And  for  the  upright-hearted,  gladness. 

12  Be  glad,  ye  righteous,  in  Jehovah, 
And  give  thanks  to  His  holy  memorial. 

THE  summons  to  praise  the  King  with  a  new  song 
(Psalm   xcvi.)  is   followed   by   this  psalm,  which 
repeats  the  dominant  idea  of  the  group,   "Jehovah  is 

6o 


xcvii.]  THE   PSALMS  6 1 


King,"  but  from  a  fresh  point  of  view.  It  represents 
His  rule  under  the  form  of  a  theophany,  which  may 
possibly  be  regarded  as  the  fuller  description  of  that 
coming  of  Jehovah  to  judgment  with  which  Psalm 
xcvi.  closes.  The  structure  of  both  psalms  is  the  same, 
each  being  divided  into  four  strophes,  normally  consist- 
ing of  three  verses  each,  though  the  last  strophe  of 
Psalm  xcvi.  runs  over  into  four  verses.  In  this  psalm, 
the  first  group  of  verses  celebrates  the  royal  state  of  the 
King  (vv.  1-3)  ;  the  second  describes  His  coming  as  a 
past  fact  (vv.  4-6)  ;  the  third  portrays  the  twofold  effects 
of  Jehovah's  appearance  on  the  heathen  and  on  Zion 
(vv.  7-9) ;  and  the  last  applies  the  lessons  of  the 
whole  to  the  righteous,  in  exhortation  and  encourage- 
ment (vv.  10-12).  The  same  dependence  on  earlier 
psalms  and  prophets  which  marks  others  of  this  group 
is  obvious  here.  The  psalmist's  mind  is  saturated 
with  old  sayings,  which  he  finds  flashed  up  into  new 
meaning  by  recent  experiences.  He  is  not  "original," 
and  does  not  try  to  be  so ;  but  he  has  drunk  in  the 
spirit  of  his  predecessors,  and  words  which  to  others 
were  antiquated  and  cold  blaze  with  light  for  him,  and 
seem  made  for  his  lips.  He  who  reads  aright  the 
solemn  significance  of  to-day  will  find  it  no  less  sacred 
than  any  past,  and  may  transfer  to  it  all  which  seers 
and  singers  have  said  and  sung  of  Jehovah's  presence 
of  old. 

The  first  strophe  is  mosaic-work.  Ver.  i  {lands=islcs) 
may  be  compared  with  Isa.  xlii.  10,  li.  5.  Ver.  2  a  is 
from  Exod.  xix.  9,  16,  etc.,  and  Psalm  xviii.  9.  Ver. 
2  b  \s>  quoted  from  Psalm  Ixxxix.  14.  Ver.  3  a  recalls 
Psalms  1.  3  and  xviii.  8.  The  appearance  of  God  on 
Sinai  is  the  type  of  all  later  thcophanics,  and  the 
reproduction  of  its  principal  features  witnesses  to  the 


62  THE  PSALMS 


conviction  that  that  transient  manifestation  was  the 
unveiHng  of  permanent  reahty.  The  veil  had  dropped 
again,  but  what  had  been  once  seen  continued  always, 
though  unseen ;  and  the  veil  could  and  would  be 
drawn  aside,  and  the  long-hidden  splendour  blaze  forth 
again.  The  combination  of  the  pieces  of  mosaic  in  a 
new  pattern  here  is  striking.  Three  thoughts  fill  the 
singer's  mind.  God  is  King,  and  His  reign  gladdens 
the  world,  even  away  out  to  the  dimly  seen  lands  that 
are  washed  by  the  western  ocean,  "The  islands" 
drew  Isaiah's  gaze.  Prophecy  began  in  him  to  look 
seawards  and  westwards,  little  knowing  how  the  course 
of  empire  was  to  take  its  way  thither,  but  feeling  that 
whatever  lands  might  lie  towards  the  setting  sun  were 
ruled,  and  would  be  gladdened,  by  Jehovah. 

Gladness  passes  into  awe  in  ver.  2  a,  as  the  seer 
beholds  the  cloud  and  gloom  which  encircle  the  throne. 
The  transcending  infinitude  of  the  Divine  nature,  the 
mystery  of  much  of  the  Divine  acts,  are  symbolised  by 
these  ;  but  the  curtain  is  the  picture.  To  know  that 
God  cannot  be  known  is  a  large  part  of  the  knowledge 
of  Him.  Faith,  built  on  experience,  enters  into  the 
cloud,  and  is  not  afraid,  but  confidently  tells  what 
it  knows  to  be  within  the  darkness.  "  Righteousness 
and  judgment " — the  eternal  principle  and  the  activity 
thereof  in  the  several  acts  of  the  King — are  the  bases 
of  His  throne,  more  solid  than  the  covering  cloud. 
Earth  can  rejoice  in  His  reign,  even  though  darkness 
may  make  parts  of  it  painful  riddles,  if  the  assurance 
is  held  fast  that  absolute  righteousness  is  at  the  centre, 
and  that  the  solid  core  of  all  is  judgment.  Destructive 
power,  symbolised  in  ver.  3  by  fire  which  devours  His 
adversaries,  the  fire  which  flashed  first  on  Sinai,  is 
part  of  the   reason   for   the  gladness  of  earth  in   His 


THE  PSALMS 


reign.  For  His  foes  are  the  world's  foes  too  ;  and  a 
God  who  could  not  smite  into  nothingness  that  which 
lifted  itself  against  His  dominion  would  be  no  God 
for  whom  the  isles  could  wait.  These  three  cha- 
racteristics, mystery,  righteousness,  power  to  consume, 
attach  to  Jehovah's  royalty,  and  should  make  every 
heart  rejoice. 

In  the  second  strophe,  the  tenses  suddenly  change 
into  pure  narative.  The  change  may  be  simply  due, 
as  Cheyne  suggests,  to  the  influence  of  the  earlier 
passages  descriptive  of  theophanies,  and  in  which  the 
same  tense  occurs ;  but  more  probably  it  points  to 
some  event  fresh  in  the  experience  of  Israel,  such  as 
the  return  from  Babylon.  In  this  strophe  again,  we 
have  mosaic.  Ver.  4  a  is  quoted  from  Psalm  Ixxvii.  18. 
With  ver.  46  may  be  compared  Psalm  Ixxvii.  16.  Ver. 
5  a  is  like  Micah  i.  4,  and,  in  a  less  degree.  Psalm  Ixviii.  2. 
*'  The  Lord  of  the  whole  earth  "  is  an  unusual  designa- 
tion, first  found  in  a  significant  connection  in  Josh.  iii. 
II,  13,  as  emphasising  His  triumph  over  heathen  gods, 
in  leading  the  people  into  Canaan,  and  afterwards 
found  in  Zech.  iv.  14,  vi.  5,  and  Micah  iv.  13.  Ver.  6« 
comes  from  the  theophany  in  Psalm  1.  6  ;  and  ver.  6  b  has 
parallels  in  both  parts  of  Isaiah — e.g.,  Isa.  xxxv.  2,  xl.  5, 
Iii.  10 — passages  which  refer  to  the  restoration  from 
Babylon.  The  picture  is  grand  as  a  piece  of  word-paint- 
ing. The  world  lies  wrapped  in  thunder-gloom,  and 
is  suddenly  illumined  by  the  fierce  blaze  of  lightning. 
The  awestruck  silence  of  Nature  is  wonderfully  given 
by  ver.  \b:  "The  earth  saw  and  trembled."  But  the 
picture  is  symbol,  and  the  lightning-flash  is  meant  to 
set  forth  the  sudden,  swift  forth-darting  of  God's 
delivering  power,  which  awes  a  gazing  world,  while 
the  hills  melting  like  wax  from  before  His  face  solemnly 


64  THE  PSALMS 


proclaim  how  terrible  its  radiance  is,  and  how  easily 
the  mere  showing  of  Himself  annihilates  all  high  things 
that  oppose  themselves.  Solid-seeming  and  august 
powers,  which  tower  above  His  people's  ability  to 
overcome  them,  vanish  when  He  looks  out  from 
the  deep  darkness.  The  end  of  His  appearance  and 
of  the  consequent  removal  of  obstacles  is  the  manifesta- 
tion of  His  righteousness  and  glory.  The  heavens  are 
the  scene  of  the  Divine  appearance,  though  earth  is  the 
theatre  of  its  working.  They  "  declare  His  righteous- 
ness," not  because,  as  in  Psalm  xix.  they  are  said  to 
tell  forth  His  glory  by  their  myriad  lights,  but  because 
in  them  He  has  shone  forth,  in  His  great  act  of  deliver- 
ance of  His  oppressed  people.  Israel  receives  the 
primary  blessing,  but  is  blessed,  not  for  itself  alone, 
but  that  all  peoples  may  see  in  it  Jehovah's  glory. 
Thus  once  more  the  psalm  recognises  the  world-wide 
destination  of  national  mercies,  and  Israel's  place  in  the 
Divine  economy  as  being  of  universal  significance. 

The  third  strophe  (vv.  7-9)  sets  forth  the  results  of 
the  theophany  on  foes  and  friends.  The  worshippers 
of  "the  Nothings"  (xcvi.  5)  are  put  to  confusion  by 
the  demonstration  by  fact  of  Jehovah's  sovereignty 
over  their  helpless  deities.  Ver.  7  a^  b,  recall  Isa.  xlii. 
17,  xliv.  9.  As  the  worshippers  are  ashamed,  so  the 
gods  themselves  are  summoned  to  fall  down  before 
this  triumphant  Jehovah,  as  Dagon  did  before  the  Ark. 
Surely  it  is  a  piece  of  most  prosaic  pedantry  to  argue, 
from  this  flash  of  scorn,  that  the  psalmist  believed  that 
the  gcds  whom  he  had  just  called  "  Nothings  "  had  a 
real  existence,  and  that  therefore  he  was  not  a  pure 
Monotheist. 

The  shame  of  the  idolaters  and  the  prostration  of 
their  gods   heighten    the  gladness  of  Zion,   wliich   the 


xcvii.]  THE  PSALMS  65 


psalm  describes  in  old  words  that  had  once  celebrated 
another  flashing  forth  of  Jehovah's  power  (Psalm 
xlviii.  11).  Hupfeld,  whom  Cheyne  follows,  would 
transpose  vv.  7  and  8,  on  the  grounds  that  "  the  trans- 
position explains  what  Zion  heard,  and  brings  the 
summons  to  the  false  gods  into  connection  with  the 
emphatic  claim  on  behalf  of  Jehovah  in  ver.  9."  But 
there  is  no  need  for  the  change,  since  there  is  no 
ambiguity  as  to  what  Zion  heard,  if  the  existing  order 
is  retained,  and  her  gladness  is  quite  as  worthy  a  con- 
sequence of  the  exaltation  of  Jehovah  in  ver.  9  as  the 
subjugation  of  the  false  gods  would  be.  With  ver.  9 
compare  Psalm  Ixxxiii.  18,  and  Psalm  xlvii,  2. 

The  last  strophe  (vv.  10-12)  draws  exhortation  and 
promises  from  the  preceding.  There  is  a  marked 
diminution  of  dependence  on  earlier  passages  in  this 
strophe,  in  which  the  psalmist  points  for  his  own 
generation  the  lessons  of  the  great  deliverance  which 
he  has  been  celebrating.  Ver.  12  a  is  like  Psalm  xxxii. 
1 1  ;  ver.  12  ^  is  from  Psalm  xxx.  4  ;  but  the  remainder 
is  the  psalmist's  own  earnest  exhortation  and  firm  faith, 
cast  into  words  which  come  warm  from  his  own  heart's 
depths.  Love  to  Jehovah  necessarily  implies  hatred 
of  evil,  which  is  His  antagonist,  and  which  He  hates. 
That  higher  love  will  not  be  kept  in  encrg}^,  unless  it 
is  guarded  by  wholesome  antipathy  to  everything  foul. 
The  capacity  for  love  of  the  noble  is  maimed  unless 
there  is  hearty  hatred  of  the  ignoble.  Love  to  God  is 
no  idle  affection,  but  withdraws  a  man  from  rival  loves. 
The  stronger  the  attraction,  the  stronger  the  recoil. 
The  closer  we  cleave  to  God,  the  more  decided  our 
shrinking  from  all  that  would  weaken  our  hold  of  Him. 
A  specific  reference  in  the  exhortation  to  temptations 
to  idolatry  is  possible,  though  not  necessary.    All  times 

VOL.  III.  5 


66  THE  PSALMS 


have  their  "evil,"  with  which   God's   lovers  are  ever 

tempted  to  comply.     The  exhortation  is  never  out  of 

place,  nor  the  encouragement  which  accompanies  it  ever 

illusory.     In   such   firm   adherence  to   Jehovah,  many 

difficulties  will  rise,  and  foes  be  made ;  but  those  who 

obey  it  will  not  lack  protection.     Mark  the  alternation 

of  names  for  such.     They  are  first  called  "  lovers  of 

God  "  ;  they  are  then  designated  as  His  "  favoured  ones." 

That  which  is   first  in  time   is  last  in  mention.     The 

effect  is  in  view  before  it  is  traced  to  its  cause.     "  We 

love   Him  because    He  first    loved   us."     Then   follow 

names  drawn   from    the    moral    perfecting   which    will 

ensue  on  recognition  and  reception  of  God's  favour, 

and  on  the  cherishing  of  the  love  which  fulfils  the  law. 

They  who  love  because  they  are  loved,  become  righteous 

and  upright-hearted  because  they  love.      For  such  the 

psalmist  has  promise  as  well  as  exhortation.     Not  only 

are  they  preserved  in  and  from  dangers,  but  "  light  is 

sown  "  for  them.     Many  commentators  think  that  the 

figure  of  light  being  sown,  as  seeds  are  buried  in  the 

ground  to  shoot  up  in  beauty  in  a  future  spring-time,  is 

too  violent,  and  they  propose  to  understand  "  sown  "  in 

the  sense  o{  scattered  on  ^  not  deposited  in,  the  earth,  "so 

that  he,  the  righteous,  goes   forward    step  by  step  in 

the  light  "  (Delitzsch).     Others  would  correct  into  "  is 

risen"  or  "arises."     But  one  is  reluctant  to  part  with 

the  figure,  the  violence  of  which  is  permissible  in  an 

Eastern  singer.     Darkness  often  wraps  the  righteous, 

and  it  is  not  true  to  experience  to  say  that  his  way  is 

always  in  the  sunlight.     But  it  is  consolation  to  know 

that  light  is  sown,  invisible  and  buried,  as  it  were,  but 

sure   to  germinate   and   fruit.     The  metaphor  mingles 

figures  and  offends  purists,  but  it  fits  closer  to  fact  than 

the  weakening  of  it  which  fits  the  rules  of  composition- 


xcvii.]  THE  PSALMS  67 


If  we  are  God's  lovers,  present  darkness  may  be  quieted 
by  hope,  and  we  may  have  the  "  fruit  of  the  light  "  in  our 
lives  now,  and  the  expectation  of  a  time  when  we  shall 
possess  in  fulness  and  in  perpetuity  all  that  light  of 
knowledge,  purity,  and  gladness  which  Jesus  the  Sower 
went  forth  to  sow,  and  which  had  been  ripened  by 
struggles  and  sorrows  and  hatred  of  evil  while  we 
were  here. 

Therefore,  because  of  this  magnificent  theophany, 
and  because  of  its  blessed  consequences  for  loving 
souls,  the  psalmist  ends  with  the  exhortation  to  the 
righteous  to  rejoice.  He  began  with  bidding  the  world 
be  glad.  He  now  bids  each  of  us  concentrate  that 
universal  gladness  in  our  own  hearts.  Whether  earth 
obeys  Him  or  not,  it  is  for  us  to  clasp  firmly  thd"  great 
facts  which  will  feed  the  lamp  of  our  joy.  God's  holy 
memorial  is  His  name,  or  His  self-revealed  character. 
He  desires  to  be  known  and  remembered  by  His  acts. 
If  we  rightly  retain  and  ponder  His  utterance  of  Him- 
self, not  in  syllables,  but  in  deeds,  we  shall  not  be 
silent  in  His  praise.  The  righteous  man  should  not  be 
harsh  and  crabbed,  but  his  soul  should  dwell  in  a 
serene  atmosphere  of  joy  in  Jehovah,  and  his  life  be 
one  thanksgiving  to  that  mighty,  never-to-be-forgotten 
Name. 


PSALM    XCVIII. 

1  Sing  to  Jehovah  a  new  song, 
For  wonders  He  has  done, 

His  right  hand  has  brought  Him  salvation,  and  His  holy  arm 

2  Jehovah  has  made  known  His  salvation, 

To  the  eyes  of  the  nations  He  has  revealed  His  righteousness. 

3  He  has  remembered  His  loving-kindness  and  His  faithfulness 

to  the  house  of  Israel, 
All  the  ends  of  the  earth  have  seen  the  salvation  of  our  God. 

4  Shout  aloud  to  Jehovah,  all  the  earth. 

Break  forth  into  shrill  cries  of  joy  and  make  melody, 

5  Make  melody  to  Jehovah  with  the  lyre. 
With  lyre  and  voice  of  melodj'. 

6  With  trumpets  and  blast  of  horn. 
Shout  aloud  before  Jehovah,  the  King. 

7  Let  the  sea  thunder  and  its  fulness. 
The  world  and  the  dwellers  therein, 

8  Let  streams  clap  hands. 

Together  let  mountains  ring  out  joyful  cries, 

9  Before  Jehovah,  for  He  comes  to  judge  the  earth, 
He  will  judge  the  world  in  righteousness, 

And  peoples  in  equity. 

THE  two  preceding  psalms  correspond  in  number 
and  division  of  verses.  The  first  begins  with  a 
summons  to  sing  to  Jehovah  ;  the  second,  with  a  pro- 
clamation that  He  is  King.  A  precisely  similar  con- 
nection exists  between  this  and  the  following  psalm. 
Psalm  xcviii.  is  an  echo  of  Psalm  xcvi.,  and  Psalm  xcix. 
of  Psalm  xcvii.  The  number  of  verses  in  each  of  the 
second  pair  is  nine,  and  in  each  there  is  a  threefold 
division.  The  general  theme  of  both  pairs  is  the  same, 
but   with   considerable   modifications.      The   abundant 

68 


xcviii.]  THE  'PSALMS  69 

allusions  to  older  passages  continue  here,  and  the 
second  part  of  Isaiah  is  especially  familiar  to  the  singer. 

The  first  strophe  (vv.  1-3),  though  modelled  on 
the  first  of  Psalm  xcvi.,  presents  the  theme  in  a  dif- 
ferent fashion.  Instead  of  reiterating  through  three 
verses  the  summons  to  Israel  to  praise  Jehovah,  and 
declare  His  glory  to  the  nations,  this  psalm  passes  at 
once  from  the  summons  to  praise,  in  order  to  set  forth 
the  Divine  deed  which  evokes  the  praise,  and  which, 
the  psalmist  thinks,  will  shine  by  its  own  lustre  to 
"  the  ends  of  the  earth,"  whether  it  has  human  voices 
to  celebrate  it  or  not.  This  psalmist  speaks  more 
definitely  of  Jehovah's  wonders  of  deliverance.  Israel 
appears  rather  as  the  recipient  than  as  the  celebrator  of 
God's  loving-kindness.  The  sun  shines  to  all  nations, 
whether  any  voices  say  "  Look,"  or  no,  Ver.  i  «  is 
from  Psalm  xcvi.  i  ;  vv.  i  c-3  weave  together  snatches 
of  various  passages  in  the  second  part  of  Isaiah,  espe- 
cially Isa.  lii.  10,  lix.  16,  Ixiii.  5.  The  remarkable  ex- 
pression *'  brought  salvation  to  Him  "  (from  the  second 
passage  in  Isaiah)  is  rendered  by  many  '*  helped  Him," 
and  that  rendering  gives  the  sense  but  obliterates  the 
connection  with  **  salvation,"  emphatically  repeated  in 
the  two  following  verses.  The  return  from  Babylon 
is  naturally  suggested  as  best  corresponding  to  the 
psalmist's  words.  That  was  **  the  salvation  of  our 
God,"  who  seemed  to  have  forgotten  His  people,  as 
Isa.  xHx.  2  represents  Israel  as  complaining,  but  now, 
before  "  the  eyes  of  all  nations,"  has  shown  how  well 
He  remembers  and  faithfully  keeps  His  covenant  obliga- 
tions. Israel  is,  indeed,  Jehovah's  v/itness,  and  should 
ring  out  her  grateful  joy ;  but  Jehovah's  deed  speaks 
more  loudly  than  Israel's  proclamation  of  it  can  ever  do. 

The    second    strophe  (vv.   4-6)  corresponds    to  the 


70  THE  PSALMS 


third  of  Psalm  xcvi. ;  but  whereas  there  the  Gentiles 
were  summoned  to  bring  offerings  into  the  courts  of 
Jehovah,  here  it  is  rather  the  glad  tumult  of  vocal 
praise,  mingled  with  the  twang  of  harps,  and  the  blare 
of  trumpets  and  horns,  which  is  present  to  the  singer's 
imagination.  He  hears  the  swelling  chorus  echoing 
through  the  courts,  which  are  conceived  as  wide  enough 
to  hold  "all  the  earth."  He  has  some  inkling  of  the 
great  thought  that  the  upshot  of  God's  redeeming  self- 
manifestation  will  be  glad  music  from  a  redeemed  v/orld. 
His  call  to  mankind  throbs  with  emotion,  and  sounds 
like  a  prelude  to  the  melodious  commingling  of  voice 
and  instrument  which  he  at  once  enjoins  and  foretells. 
His  words  are  largely  echoes  of  Isaiah.  Compare  Isa. 
xHv.  23,  xlix.  13,  lii.  9,  for  "break  forth  into,"  and  li.  3 
for  "  voice  of  melody." 

The  final  strophe  is  almost  identical  with  that  of 
Psalm  xcvi.,  but,  in  accordance  with  the  variation  found 
in  vv.  1-3,  omits  the  summons  to  Israel  to  proclaim 
God's  Kinghood  among  the  nations.  It  also  inverts  the 
order  of  clauses  in  ver.  7,  and  in  ver.  7  b  quotes  from 
Psalm  xxiv.  i,  where  also  "  the  fulness  of  it"  precedes, 
with  the  result  of  having  no  verb  expressed  which 
suits  the  nouns,  since  "  the  world  and  the  dwellers 
therein  "  cannot  well  be  called  on  to  "  thunder."  In- 
stead of  the  "  plain  "  and  "  trees  of  the  forest "  in  the 
original,  ver.  8  substitutes  streams  and  mountains. 
The  bold  figure  of  the  streams  clapping  hands,  in  token 
of  homage  to  the  King  (2  Kings  xi.  12 ;  Psalm  xlvii.  i) 
occurs  in  Isa.  Iv.  12,  The  meeting  waves  are  conceived 
of  as  striking  against  each  other,  with  a  sound  resem- 
bling that  of  applauding  palms.  Ver.  9  is  quoted  from 
Psalm  xcvi.,  with  the  omission  of  the  second  "  He 
Cometh"  (which  many  versions  of  the  LXX.  retain), 
and  the  substitution  of  "  equity  "  for  "  His  faithfulness." 


PSALM    XCIX. 

1  Jehovah  is  King— the  peoples  tremble; 
Throned  [on]  the  cherubim — the  earth  totters. 

2  Jehovah  in  Zion  is  great, 

And  exalted  above  all  the  peoples. 

3  Let  them  praise  Thy  great  and  dread  name, 
Holy  is  He. 

4  And  the  strength  of  the  King  loves  judgment, 
Thou,  Thou  hast  established  equity, 

Judgment  and  righteousness  in  Jacob  hast  Thou  wrought. 

5  Exalt  Jehovah  our  God, 

And  prostrate  j-ourselves  at  His  footstool, 
Holy  is  He. 

6  Moses  and  Aaron  among  His  priests, 

And  Samuel  among  them  that  call  [on]  His  name  ; 
They  called  on  Jehovah,  and  He,  He  answered  them. 

7  In  a  pillar  of  cloud  He  spoke  to  them. 
They  kept  His  testimonies. 

And  the  statute  [which]  He  gave  them. 

8  Jehovah  our  God  !  Thou,  Thou  didst  answer  them, 
A  forgiving  God  wast  Thou  unto  them. 

And  executing  retribution  for  their  deeds. 

9  Exalt  Jehovah  our  God, 

And  prostrate  yourselves  at  His  holy  mountain, 
For  holy  is  Jehovah  our  God. 

DELITZSCH  has  well  called  this  psalm  "  an 
earthly  echo  of  the  seraphic  Trisagion,"  the 
threefold  proclamation  of  the  Divine  holiness,  which 
Isaiah  heard  (Isa.  vi.  3).  It  is,  as  already  noted,  a 
pendant  to  Psalm  xcviii.,  but  is  distinguished  from  the 
other   psalms  of  this  group  by  its  greater  originality, 

71 


72  THE  PSALMS 


the  absence  of  distinct  allusion  to  the  great  act  of 
deliverance  celebrated  in  them,  and  its  absorption  in 
the  one  thought  of  the  Divine  holiness.  Their  theme 
is  the  event  by  which  Jehovah  manifested  to  the  world 
His  sovereign  rule ;  this  psalm  passes  beyond  the  event, 
and  grasps  the  eternal  central  principle  of  that  rule — 
namely,  holiness.  The  same  thought  has  been  touched 
on  in  the  other  members  of  the  group,  but  here  it  is 
the  single  subject  of  praise.  Its  exhibition  in  God's 
dealings  with  Israel  is  here  traced  in  ancient  examples, 
rather  than  in  recent  instances ;  but  the  view-point  of 
the  other  psalms  is  retained,  in  so  far  as  the  Divine 
dealings  with  Israel  are  regarded  as  the  occasion  for 
the  world's  praise. 

The  first  strophe  (vv.  1-3)  dwells  in  general  terms 
on  Jehovah's  holiness,  by  which  august  conception  is 
meant,  not  only  moral  purity,  but  separation  from,  by 
elevation  above,  the  finite  and  imperfect.  Ver.  i 
vividly  paints  in  each  clause  the  glory  reigning  in 
heaven,  and  its  effect  on  an  awestruck  world.  We 
might  render  the  verbs  in  the  second  part  of  each 
clause  as  futures  or  as  optatives  (shall  tremble,  shall 
totter,  or  Let  peoples  tremble,  etc.),  but  the  thought 
is  more  animated  if  they  are  taken  as  describing 
the  result  of  the  theophany.  The  participial  clause 
"  throned  on  the  cherubim  "  adds  detail  to  the  picture 
of  Jehovah  as  King.  It  should  not,  strictly  speaking,  be 
rendered  with  a  finite  verb.  When  that  vision  of  Him 
sitting  in  royal  state  is  unveiled,  all  people  are  touched 
with  reverence,  and  the  solid  earth  staggers.  But  the 
glory  which  is  made  visible  to  all  men  has  its  earthly 
seat  in  Zion,  and  shines  from  thence  into  all  lands. 
It  is  by  His  deeds  in  Israel  that  God's  exaltation  is 
made  known.     The  psalmist  does  not  call  on  men  to 


xcix.]  THE  PSALMS  73 


bow  before  a  veiled  Majesty,  of  which  they  only  know 
that  it  is  free  from  all  creatural  limitations,  lowliness 
and  imperfections ;  but  before  a  God,  who  has  revealed 
Himself  in  acts,  and  has  thereby  made  Himself  a  name. 
"  Great  and  dread  "  is  that  name,  but  it  is  a  sign  of 
His  loving-kindness  that  it  is  known  by  men,  and 
thanksgiving,  not  dumb  trembling,  befits  men  who  know 
it.  The  refrain  might  be  rendered  "It  is  holy," 
referring  to  the  name,  but  vv.  5  and  9  make  the 
rendering  Holy  is  He  more  probable.  The  meaning 
is  unaffected  whichever  translation  is  adopted. 

Jehovah  is  holy,  not  only  because  lifted  above  and 
separated  from  creatural  limitations,  but  because  of  His 
righteousness.  The  second  strophe  therefore  proclaims 
that  all  His  dominion  is  based  on  uprightness,  and  is 
a  continual  passing  of  that  into  acts  of  "judgment  and 
righteousness."  The  **  And  "  at  the  beginning  of  ver.  4, 
following  the  refrain,  is  singular,  and  has  led  many 
commentators  to  link  the  words  with  ver.  3  a,  and, 
taking  the  refrain  as  parenthetical,  to  render,  "Let 
them  give  thanks  to  Thy  great  and  dread  name,  [for 
it  is  holy],  and  [to]  the  strength  of  the  King  [who] 
loveth,"  etc.  But  the  presence  of  the  refrain  is  an 
insuperable  bar  to  this  rendering.  Others,  as  Delitzsch 
and  Cheyne,  regard  "the  strength  of  the  king"  as 
dependent  on  "established"  in  ver.  46,  and  suppose 
that  the  theocratic  monarch  of  Israel  is  represented  as 
under  Jehovah's  protection,  if  he  reigns  righteously. 
But  surely  one  King  only  is  spoken  of  in  this  psalm, 
and  it  is  the  inmost  principle  and  outward  acts  of  His 
rule  which  are  stated  as  the  psalmist's  reason  for 
summoning  men  to  prostrate  themselves  at  His  foot- 
stool. The  "  And "  at  the  beginning  of  the  strophe 
links    its    whole    thought   with   that  of  the   preceding, 


74  THE  PSALMS 


and  declares  eloquently  how  closely  knit  together 
are  Jehovah's  exaltation  and  His  righteousness.  The 
singer  is  in  haste  to  assert  the  essentially  moral  cha- 
racter of  infinite  power.  Delitzsch  thinks  that  love 
cannot  be  predicated  of  "  strength,"  but  only  of  the 
possessor  of  strength  ;  but  surely  that  is  applying  the 
measuring  line  of  prosaic  accuracy  to  lyric  fervour. 
The  intertwining  of  Divine  power  and  righteousness 
could  not  be  more  strongly  asserted  than  by  that  very 
intelligible  attribution  to  His  power  of  the  emotion  of 
love,  impelling  it  ever  to  seek  union  with  uprightness. 
He  is  no  arbitrary  ruler.  His  reign  is  for  the  further- 
ance of  justice.  Its  basis  is  "equity,"  and  its  separate 
acts  are  "judgment  and  righteousness."  These  have 
been  done  in  and  for  Jacob.  Therefore  the  call  to 
worship  rings  out  again.  It  is  addressed  to  an  un- 
defined multitude,  which,  as  the  tone  of  all  this  group 
of  psalms  leads  us  to  suppose,  includes  the  whole  race 
of  man.  They  are  summoned  to  lift  high  the  praise 
of  Him  who  in  Himself  is  so  high,  and  to  cast  them- 
selves low  in  prostrate  adoration  at  His  footstool — />., 
at  His  sanctuary  on  Zion  (ver.  9).  Thus  again,  in  the 
centre  strophe  of  this  psalm,  as  in  Psalms  xcvi.  and 
xcviii.,  mankind  are  called  to  praise  the  God  who  has 
revealed  Himself  in  Israel ;  but  while  in  the  former  of 
these  two  psalms  worship  was  represented  as  sacrificial, 
and  in  the  second  as  loud  music  of  voice  and  instru- 
ment, here  silent  prostration  is  the  fitting  praise  ol 
the  holiness  of  the  infinitely  exalted  Jehovah. 

The  third  strophe  turns  to  examples  drawn  from  the 
great  ones  of  old,  which  at  once  encourage  to  worship 
and  teach  the  true  nature  of  worship,  while  they  also 
set  in  clear  light  Jehovah's  holiness  in  dealing  with  His 
worshippers.       Priestly    functions    were    exercised    by 


THE  PSALMS  75 


Moses,  as  in  sprinkling  the  blood  of  the  covenant 
(Exod.  xxiv.),  and  in  the  ceremonial  connected  with  the 
consecration  of  Aaron  and  his  sons  (Lev.  viii.),  as  well 
as  at  the  first  celebration  of  worship  in  the  Tabernacle 
(Exod.  xl.  18  sqq.).  In  the  wider  sense  of  the  word 
priest,  he  acted  as  mediator  and  intercessor,  as  in 
Exod.  xvii.  12,  in  the  fight  against  Amalek,  and  xxxii. 
30-32,  after  the  worship  of  the  golden  calf  Samuel, 
too,  interceded  for  Israel  after  their  seeking  a  king 
(i  Sam.  xii.  19  sqq.),  and  offered  sacrifices  (i  Sam. 
vii.  9).  Jeremiah  couples  them  together  as  intercessors 
with  God  (xv.  i). 

From  these  venerable  examples  the  psalmist  draws 
instruction  as  to  the  nature  of  the  worship  befitting 
the  holiness  of  Jehovah.  He  goes  deeper  than  all 
sacrifices,  or  than  silent  awe.  To  call  on  God  is 
the  best  adoration.  The  cry  of  a  soul,  conscious  of 
emptiness  and  need,  and  convinced  of  His  fulness  and 
of  the  love  which  is  the  soul  of  His  power,  is  never 
in  vain.  "They  called,  and  lie" — even  He  in  all 
the  unreachable  separation  of  His  loftiness  from  their 
lowliness — "answered  them."  There  is  a  commerce  of 
desire  and  bestowal  between  the  holy  Jehovah  and  us. 
But  these  answers  come  on  certain  conditions,  which 
are  plain  consequences  of  His  holiness — namely,  that 
His  worshippers  should  keep  His  testimonies,  by  which 
He  has  witnessed  both  to  His  own  character  and  to 
their  duty.  The  psalmist  seems  to  lose  sight  of  his 
special  examples,  and  to  extend  his  view  to  the  whole 
people,  when  he  speaks  of  answers  from  the  pillar  of 
cloud,  which  cannot  apply  to  Samuel's  experience. 
The  persons  spoken  of  in  vcr.  8  as  receiving  answers 
may  indeed  be  Moses,  Aaron,  and  Samuel,  all  of  whom 
were  punished  for  evil  deeds,  as  well  as  answered  when 


76  THE  PSALMS 


they  cried ;  but  more  probably  they  are  the  whole 
community.  The  great  principle,  firmly  grasped  and 
clearly  proclaimed  by  the  singer,  is  that  a  holy  God 
is  a  forgiving  God,  willing  to  hearken  to  men's  cry,  and 
rich  to  answer  with  needed  gifts,  and  that  indissolubly 
interwoven  with  the  pardon,  which  He  in  His  holiness 
gives,  is  retribution  for  evil.  God  loves  too  well  to 
grant  impunity.  Forgiveness  is  something  far  better 
than  escape  from  penalties.  It  cannot  be  worthy  of 
God  to  bestow  or  salutary  for  men  to  receive,  unless  it 
is  accompanied  with  such  retribution  as  may  show  the 
pardoned  man  how  deadly  his  sin  was.  '*  Whatsoever 
a  man  soweth  that  shall  he  also  reap"  is  a  law  not 
abrogated  by  forgiveness.  The  worst  penalty  of  sin, 
indeed — namely,  separation  from  God — is  wholly  turned 
aside  by  repentance  and  forgiveness ;  but  for  the  most 
part  the  penalties  which  are  inflicted  on  earth,  and  which 
are  the  natural  results  of  sin,  whether  in  character, 
memory,  habit,  or  circumstances,  are  not  removed  by 
pardon.  Their  character  is  changed ;  they  become 
loving  chastisement  for  our  profit. 

Such,  then,  is  the  worship  which  all  men  are  invited 
to  render  to  the  holy  Jehovah.  Prostrate  awe  should 
pass  into  the  cry  of  need,  desire,  and  aspiration.  It 
will  be  heard,  if  it  is  verified  as  real  by  obedience 
to  God's  known  will.  The  answers  will  be  fresh  wit- 
nesses of  God's  holiness,  which  declares  itself  equally 
in  forgiveness  and  in  retribution.  Therefore,  once 
more  the  clear  summons  to  all  mankind  rings  out,  and 
once  more  the  proclamation  of  His  holiness  is  made. 

There  is  joyful  confidence  of  access  to  the  Inac- 
cessible in  the  reiteration  in  ver.  9  of  Jehovah  otir 
God.  "  Holy  is  He,"  sang  the  psalmist  at  first,  but 
all  the  gulf  between  Jehovah  and  us  is  bridged  over 


xcix.J  THE  PSALMS  77 

when  to  the  name  which  emphasises  the  eternal,  self- 
existent  being  of  the  holy  One  we  can  add  "  our 
God."  Then  humble  prostration  is  reconcilable  with 
confident  approach ;  and  His  worshippers  have  not 
only  to  lie  lowly  at  His  footstool,  but  to  draw  near, 
with  children's  frankness,  to  His  heart. 


PSALM   C. 

1  Shout  aloud  to  Jehovah,  all  the  earth. 

2  Serve  Jehovah  with  gladness, 
Come  before  His  face  with  joyful  cry. 

3  Know  ye  that  Jehovah  He  is  God, 
He,  He  has  made  us,  and  His  are  we, 
His  people  and  the  sheep  of  His  pasture. 

4  Enter  His  gates  with  thanksgiving, 
His  courts  with  praise, 

Give  thanks  to  Him,  bless  His  name. 

5  For  Jehovah  is  good,  for  ever  endures  His  loving-kindness, 
And  to  generation  after  generation  His  faithfulness. 

THE  Psalms  of  the  King  end  with  this  full-toned 
call  to  all  the  earth  to  do  Him  homage.  It 
differs  from  the  others  of  the  group,  by  making  no 
distinct  mention  either  of  Jehovah's  royal  title  or  of  the 
great  act  of  deliverance  which  was  His  visible  exercise 
of  sovereignty.  But  it  resembles  them  in  its  jubilant 
tone,  its  urgent  invitation  to  all  men  to  walk  in  the 
light  which  shone  on  Israel,  and  its  conviction  that  the 
mercies  shown  to  the  nation  had  blessing  in  them  for 
all  the  world.  The  structure  is  simple.  A  call  to 
praise  Jehovah  is  twice  given,  and  each  is  followed  by 
reasons  for  His  praise,  which  is  grounded,  in  the  first 
instance  (ver.  3),  on  His  dealings  with  Israel,  and,  in  the 
second,  on  His  character  as  revealed  by  all  His  works. 
Ver.  I  consists  of  but  a  single  clause,  and,  as  De- 
litzsch  says,  is  like  the  signal-blast  of  a  trumpet.  It 
rings  out  a  summons  to  "  all  the  earth,"  as  in  Psalm 
xcviii.  4,   which  is  expanded  in  ver.    2.     The  service 

78 


c]  THE  PSALMS  79 


there  enjoined  is  that  of  worship  in  the  Temple,  as  in 
ver.  4.  Thus,  the  characteristic  tone  of  this  group  of 
psalms  echoes  here,  in  its  close,  and  all  men  are  called 
and  welcomed  to  the  Sanctuary.  There  is  no  more  a 
Court  of  the  Gentiles.  Not  less  striking  than  the  uni- 
versality of  the  psalm  is  its  pulsating  gladness.  The 
depths  of  sorrow,  both  of  that  which  springs  from 
outward  calamities  and  of  that  more  heart-breaking 
sort  which  wells  up  from  dark  fountains  in  the  soul, 
have  been  sounded  in  many  a  psalm.  But  the  Psalter 
would  not  reflect  all  the  moods  of  the  devout  soul, 
unless  it  had  some  strains  of  unmingled  joy.  The 
Christian  Year  has  perfect  days  of  sunlit  splendour, 
when  all  the  winds  are  still,  and  no  cloud  darkens  the 
unbroken  blue.  There  is  no  music  without  passages 
in  minor  keys  ;  but  joy  has  its  rights  and  place  too,  and 
they  know  but  little  of  the  highest  kind  of  worship  who 
do  not  sometimes  feel  their  hearts  swell  with  gladness 
more  poignant  and  exuberant  than  earth  can  minister. 

The  reason  for  the  world's  gladness  is  given  in 
ver.  3.  It  is  Jehovah's  special  relation  to  Israel.  So  far 
as  the  language  of  the  verse  is  concerned,  it  depends 
on  Psalm  xcv.  7.  "  He  hath  made  us  "  does  not  refer 
to  creation,  but  to  the  constituting  of  Israel  the  people 
of  God.  "  We  are  His  "  is  the  reading  of  the  Hebrew 
margin,  and  is  evidently  to  be  preferred  to  that  of  the 
text,  "  Not  we  ourselves."  The  difference  in  Hebrew 
is  only  in  one  letter,  and  the  pronunciation  of  both 
readings  would  be  the  same.  Jewish  text-critics  count 
fifteen  passages,  in  which  a  similar  mistake  has  been 
made  in  the  text.  Here,  the  comparison  of  Psalm  xcv. 
and  the  connection  with  the  next  clause  of  ver.  3  are 
decidedly  in  favour  of  the  amended  reading.  It  is  to 
be  observed  that  this  is  the  only  place  in  the  psalm  in 


So  THE  PSALMS 


which  "  we  "  and  "  us  "  are  used ;  and  it  is  natural  to 
lay  stress  on  the  opposition  between  "ye"  in  ver.  3  a, 
and  "we"  and  "us"  in  b.  The  collective  Israel 
speaks,  and  calls  all  men  to  rejoice  in  Jehovah,  because 
of  His  grace  to  it.  The  psalm  is,  then,  not,  as 
Cheyne  calls  it,  "a  national  song  of  thanksgiving,  with 
which  an  universalistic  element  is  not  completel}'  fused," 
but  a  song  which  starts  from  national  blessings,  and 
discerns  in  them  a  message  of  hope  and  joy  for  all 
men.  Israel  was  meant  to  be  a  sacred  hearth  on  which 
a  fire  was  kindled,  that  was  to  warm  all  the  house. 
God  revealed  Himself  in  Israel,  but  to  the  world. 

The  call  to  praise  is  repeated  in  ver.  4  with  more 
distinct  reference  to  the  open  Temple  gates  into  which 
all  the  nations  may  now  enter.  The  psalmist  sees,  in 
prophetic  hope,  crowds  pouring  in  with  glad  alacrity 
through  the  portals,  and  then  hears  the  joyful  tumult 
of  their  many  voices  rising  in  a  melodious  surge  of 
praise.  His  eager  desire  and  large-hearted  confidence 
that  so  it  will  one  day  be  are  vividly  expressed  by  the 
fourfold  call  in  ver.  4.  And  the  reason  which  should 
draw  all  men  to  bless  God's  revealed  character  is  that 
His  self-revelation,  whether  to  Israel  or  to  others, 
shows  that  the  basis  of  that  character  is  goodness — i.e.^ 
kindness  or  love — and  that,  as  older  singers  have  sung, 
"  His  loving-kindness  endures  for  ever,"  and,  as  a 
thousand  generations  in  Israel  and  throughout  the 
earth  have  proved.  His  faithful  adherence  to  His  word, 
and  discharge  of  all  obligations  under  which  He  has 
come  to  His  creatures,  give  a  basis  for  trust  and  a  per- 
petual theme  for  joyful  thanksgiving.  Therefore,  all  the 
world  has  an  interest  in  Jehovah's  royalty,  and  should, 
and  one  day  shall,  compass  His  throne  with  joyful 
homage,  and  obey  His  behests  with  willing  service. 


PSALM    CI. 

1  Of  loving-kindness  and  judgment  will  I  sing, 
To  Thee,  Jehovah,  will  I  harp. 

2  I  will  give  heed  to  the  way  of  perfcctness, 
When  wilt  Thou  come  to  mc  ? 

I  will  walk  with  a  perfect  heart 
Within  my  house. 

3  I  will  not  set  before  my  eyes  any  villainous  thing. 
The  doing  of  transgressions  do  I  hate. 

It  shall  not  cleave  to  me. 

4  A  perverse  heart  shall  depart  from  me. 
Evil  will  I  not  know. 

5  The  secret  slanderer  of  his  neighbour, 
Him  will  I  root  out, 

The  lofty-eyed  and  proud-hearted. 
Him  will  I  not  endure. 

6  My  eyes  are  on  the  faithful  of  the  land. 
That  they  may  dwell  with  me, 

He  who  walks  in  the  way  of  perfectuess, 
He  shall  serve  me. 

7  He  shall  not  dwell  in  my  house 
Who  practises  deceit. 

He  that  speaks  lies 

Shall  not  be  established  before  my  eyes. 

8  Every  morning  will  I  root  out 
All  the  wicked  of  the  land, 

To  cut  off  from  the  city  of  Jehovah 
All  workers  of  iniquity. 

THE  contents  of  this  psalm  go   far  towards  con- 
firming the  correctness  of  the  superscription   in 
ascribing  it  to  David,  as  Evvald  acknowledges.     To  call 
it  an  ideal  description  of  a  Jewish  king,  dramatically 
VOL.  III.  8i  6 


82  THE  PSALMS 


put  into  such  a  ruler's  mouth,  does  not  do  justice  to 
the  ring  of  earnestness  in  it.  No  doubt,  subjective 
impressions  are  unreHable  guides,  but  it  is  difficult  to 
resist  the  impression  that  a  kingly  voice  is  audible  here, 
speaking  no  ideal  description,  but  his  own  stern  re- 
solves. It  is  a  royal  "  proclamation  against  vice  and 
immorality,"  appropriate  to  the  beginning  of  a  reign. 
If  we  accept  the  superscription,  and  interpret  the  abrupt 
question  in  ver.  2  "  When  wilt  Thou  come  to  me  ?  "  as 
the  utterance  of  David's  longing  to  see  the  Ark  set  in 
Jerusalem,  we  get  a  most  fitting  period  for  the  psalm. 
He  had  but  recently  ascended  the  throne.  The  abuses 
and  confusions  of  Saul's  last  troubled  years  had  to 
be  reformed.  The  new  king  felt  that  he  was  God's 
vicero}^,  and  here  declares  what  he  will  strive  to  make 
his  monarchy — a  copy  of  God's.  He  gives  evil-doers 
fair  warning,  and  bids  all  true  men  be  sure  of  his  favour. 
But  he  will  take  heed  to  himself,  before  he  seeks  to 
purge  his  court.  So  the  psalm,  though  it  has  no 
strophical  arrangement,  falls  into  two  main  parts,  in 
the  first  of  which  the  king  lays  down  the  rule  of  his 
own  conduct,  and,  in  the  second,  declares  war  against 
the  vermin  that  infest  especially  an  Eastern  court — 
slanderers,  arrogant  upstarts,  traffickers  in  lies.  His 
ambition  is  to  have  Jehovah's  city  worthy  of  its  true 
King,  when  He  shall  deign  to  come  and  dwell  in  it. 
Therefore  his  face  will  be  gracious  to  all  good  men, 
and  his  hand  heavy  on  all  evil-doers.  The  psalm  is 
"  A  Mirror  for  Magistrates,"  to  quote  the  title  of  an  old 
English  book. 

The  first  words  of  the  psalm  seem  at  first  sight 
incongruous  with  its  contents,  which  are  singularly 
devoid  of  praise.  But  they  are  not  meant  to  refer  to 
the   psalm,   but  declare  the    singer's   purpose   for  his 


ci.]  THE  PSALMS  83 


whole  life.  If  the  speaker  is  a  real  character,  he  is  a 
poet-king.  Of  whom  is  that  singular  combination  of 
royalty  and  minstrelsy  so  true  as  of  David  ?  If  the 
speaker  is  an  ideal,  is  it  not  peculiar  that  the  first 
qualification  of  the  ideal  king  should  be  that  he  is 
a  poet  ?  The  suggestion  that  "  loving-kindness  and 
judgment"  are  here  the  monarch's  virtues,  not  Divine 
attributes,  is  negatived  by  usage  and  by  the  following 
clause,  "To  Thee,  Jehovah,  will  I  sing."  But  it  is  as  a 
king  that  the  psalmist  vows  to  praise  these  twin  charac- 
teristics of  the  Divine  rule ;  and  his  song  is  to  be 
accompanied  by  melodious  deeds,  which  shape  them- 
selves after  that  pattern  for  rulers  and  all  men. 
Earthly  power  is  then  strongest  when,  like  God's,  it  is 
informed  by  loving-kindness  and  based  on  righteous- 
ness. In  this  connection,  it  is  significant  that  this 
psalm,  describing  what  a  king  should  be,  has  been 
placed  immediately  after  the  series  which  tells  who  the 
true  King  of  Israel  and  the  world  is,  in  whom  these 
same  attributes  are  ever  linked  together. 

Vv.  2-4  outline  the  king's  resolves  for  himself 
With  noble  self-control,  this  ruler  of  men  sets  before 
himself  the  narrow,  thorny  way  of  perfectness,  not  the 
broad,  flowery  road  of  indulgence.  He  owns  a  law 
above  himself  and  a  far-off  goal  of  moral  completeness, 
which,  he  humbly  feels,  is  yet  unattained,  but  which  he 
vows  will  never  be  hidden  from  his  undazzled  eyes,  by 
the  glitter  of  lower  earthly  good,  or  the  rank  mists 
of  sensual  pleasures.  He  had  abundant  facilities  for 
reaching  lower  aims,  but  he  turns  from  these  to  "  give 
heed  "  to  the  way  of  perfectness.  That  resolve  must 
be  clearly  and  strongly  made  by  every  man,  prince  or 
peasant,  who  would  attain  to  the  dominion  over  self 
and  externals,  which  is  man's  true  royalt}'. 


84  THE  PSALMS 


The  suddenly  interjected  question  of  longing,  "  When 
wilt  Thou  come  to  me  ?  "  is  best  explained  by  con- 
necting it  with  David's  desire  that  the  Ark  should 
be  permanently  domiciled  in  Jerusalem — a  desire  which 
was  checked  by  his  reflections  on  his  own  unworthi- 
ness  (2  Sam.  vi.  9).  Now  he  feels  that,  on  the  one  hand, 
his  whole-hearted  desire  after  righteousness  makes 
him  capable  of  receiving  such  a  guest ;  and  that,  on  the 
other,  his  firmest  resolves  will  be  evanescent,  without 
God's  presence  to  confirm  his  wavering  and  to  help  him 
to  make  his  resolves  into  acts.  He  longed  for  that 
"  coming  "  of  the  symbol  of  God's  dwelling  with  men, 
not  with  heathenish  desire  to  have  it  as  a  magic-working 
charm  against  outward  foes,  but  as  helping  his  faith  to 
grasp  the  fact  that  God  was  with  him,  as  his  ally  in 
the  nobler  fight  against  his  own  baseness  and  his 
position's  temptations.  We  dare  not  ask  God  to  come 
to  us,  unless  we  are  conscious  of  desire  to  be  pure  ;  we 
cannot  hope  to  realise  that  desire,  unless  He  is  with  us. 
So,  the  natural  sequel  of  determination  to  give  heed  to 
the  way  of  perfectness  is  petition  to  Him,  to  come  very 
near  and  take  up  His  abode  with  us. 

After  this  most  significant  interruption,  the  stream 
of  resolutions  runs  on  again.  In  the  comparative 
privacy  of  his  house,  he  will  "  walk  with  a  perfect 
heart,"  ever  seeking  to  translate  his  convictions  of 
right  into  practice,  and  regulating  his  activities  by 
conscience.  The  recesses  of  an  Eastern  palace  were 
often  foul  with  lust,  and  hid  extravagances  of  caprice 
and  self-indulgence ;  but  this  ruler  will  behave  there 
as  one  who  has  Jehovah  for  a  guest.  The  language 
of  ver.  3  is  very  energetic.  "  Any  villainous  thing  " 
is  literally  **  a  thing  of  Belial  "  ;  "  the  doing  of  trans- 
gressions "   is  literally   "  doing  deeds   that   turn   aside, 


ci.]  THE  PSALMS  85 

i.e.  from  the  course  prescribed.  He  will  not  take  the 
former  as  models  for  imitation  or  objects  of  desire. 
The  latter  kindle  wholesome  hatred  ;  and  if  ever  he  is 
tempted  to  dally  with  sin,  he  will  shake  it  off,  as  a 
venomous  reptile  that  has  fastened  on  him.  "  A  perfect 
heart "  will  expel  "  a  perverse  heart,"  but  neither  will 
the  one  be  gained  nor  the  other  banished  without 
vehement  and  persistent  effort.  This  man  does  not 
trust  the  improvement  of  his  character  to  chance  or 
expect  it  to  come  of  itself.  He  means  to  bend  his 
strength  to  effect  it.  He  cannot  but  "  know  evil,"  in 
the  sense  of  being  aware  of  it  and  conscious  of  its 
seductions  ;  but  he  will  not  "  know  "  it,  in  the  sense  of 
letting  it  into  his  inner  nature,  or  with  the  knowledge 
which  is  experience  and  love. 

From  ver.  5  onwards,  the  king  lays  down  the 
principles  of  his  public  action,  and  that  mainly  in 
reference  to  bad  men.  One  verse  suffices  to  tell  of 
his  fostering  care  of  good  men.  The  rest  describes 
how  he  means  to  be  a  terror  to  evil-doers.  The  vices 
against  which  he  will  implacably  war  are  not  gross 
crimes  such  as  ordinarily  bring  down  the  sword  of 
public  justice.  This  monarch  has  regard  to  more 
subtle  evils — slander,  superciliousness,  inflated  vanity 
("proud-hearted"  in  ver.  5  is  literally  wide  in  heart, 
t'.e.  dilated  with  self-sufficiency  or  ambition).  His 
eyes  are  quick  to  mark  "  the  faithful  in  the  land."  He 
looks  for  those  whose  faithfulness  to  God  guarantees 
their  fidelity  to  men  and  general  reliableness.  His 
servants  shall  be  like  himself,  followers  of  "the  way  of 
perfectness."  In  that  court,  dignity  and  office  will  go, 
not  to  talent,  or  to  crafty  arts  of  servility,  or  to  birth, 
but  to  moral  and  religious  qualities. 

In   the  last  two  verses,  the  psalm  returns  to  evil- 


86  THE  PSALMS 


doers.  The  actors  and  speakers  of  lies  shall  be 
cleared  out  of  the  palace.  Such  base  creatures  crawl 
and  sting  about  the  purlieus  of  courts,  but  this  prince 
will  have  his  immediate  entourage  free  from  them.  He 
longs  to  get  rid  of  the  stifling  atmosphere  of  deceit, 
and  to  have  honest  men  round  him,  as  many  a  ruler 
before  and  since  has  longed.  But  not  onl}^  palace,  but 
city,  has  to  be  swept  clean,  and  one  cleansing  at  the 
beginning  of  a  reign  will  not  be  enough.  So  "  every 
morning  "  the  work  has  to  be  done  again.  "  111  weeds 
grow  apace,"  and  the  mower  must  not  get  weary  of 
his  scythe.  God's  city  must  be  pure.  "  Without 
are  .  .  .  whatsoever  worketh  and  maketh  a  lie." 

The  psalm  is  a  God-given  vision  of  what  a  king  and 
a  kingdom  might  and  should  be.  If  David  wrote  it, 
his  early  resolves  were  sadly  falsified.  "  I  will  set 
no  villainous  things  before  my  eyes" — yet  from  his 
"  house,"  where  he  vowed  to  "  walk  with  a  perfect 
heart,"  he  looked  on  Bathsheba.  "  He  that  speaks  lies 
shall  not  be  established  in  my  sight " — 3'et  Absalom, 
Ahithophel,  and  the  sons  of  Zeruiah  stood  round  his 
throne.  The  shortcomings  of  the  earthly  shadows  of 
God's  rule  force  us  to  turn  away  to  the  only  perfect 
King  and  Kingdom,  Jesus  Christ  and  His  realm,  and 
to  the  city  "  into  which  shall  in  nowise  enter  anything 
that  defileth." 


PSALM    CII. 

1  Jehovah,  hear  my  praj^er, 
And  let  my  cry  come  to  Thee. 

2  Hide  not  Thy  face  from  me  in  the  day  of  my  trouble, 
Bend  to  me  Thine  ear, 

In  the  day  that  I  call  answer  me  speedil3^ 

3  For  my  days  are  consumed  in  smoke, 
And  my  bones  are  burned  like  a  brand. 

4  Smitten  like  herbage  and  dried  up  is  my  heart. 
For  I  have  forgotten  to  eat  m}'  bread. 

5  Because  of  the  noise  of  my  groaning, 
My  bones  stick  to  my  flesh. 

6  I  am  like  a  pelican  of  the  desert, 

I  am  become  like  an  owl  of  the  ruins. 

7  I  am  sleepless, 

And  am  become  like  a  sparrow  lonely  on  the  roof. 

8  All  day  long  my  enemies  reproach  me, 
They  that  are  mad  at  me  curse  by  me. 

(J  For  ashes  like  bread  have  I  eaten, 

And  my  drink  with  tears  have  I  mingled. 

10  Because  of  Thy  indignation  and  Thy  wrath, 
For  Thou  hast  caught  me  up  and  flung  me  away 

1 1  My  days  are  like  a  long-drawn-out  shadow, 
And  I  like  herbage  am  dried  up. 

12  But  Thou,  Jehovah,  sittest  enthroned  for  ever, 
And  Thy  memorial  is  to  generation  after  generation. 

13  Thou,  Thou  shall  arise,  shalt  pity  Zion, 
For  it  is  time  to  show  her  favour. 

For  the  appointed  time  is  come. 

14  For  Thy  servants  delight  in  her  stones. 
And  [to]  her  dust  they  show  favour. 

15  And  the  nations  shall  fear  the  name  of  Jehovah, 
And  all  the  kings  of  the  earth  His  glory, 

87 


THE  PSALMS 


1 6  Because  Jehovah  has  built  up  Zion, 
He  has  been  seen  in  His  glory, 

17  He  has  turned  to  the  prayer  of  the  destitute, 
And  has  not  despised  their  prayer. 

18  This  shall  be  written  for  the  generation  after, 
And  a  people  [yet]  to  be  created  shall  praise  Jah. 

19  Because  He  has  looked  down  from  His  holy  height, 
Jehovah  has  gazed  from  heaven  upon  the  earth, 

20  To  hear  the  sighing  of  the  captive, 
To  free  the  children  of  death,' 

i\  That  they  may  tell  in  Zion  the  name  of  Jehovah, 
And  His  praise  in  Jerusalem, 

22  When  the  peoples  are  assembled  together. 
And  the  kingdoms  to  serve  Jehovah, 

23  He  has  brought  down  my  strength  in  the  way, 
He  has  cut  short  my  days. 

24  I  said,  "My  God,  take  me  not  away  at  the  half  of  my  daj'S," 
[Since]  Thy  years  endure  through  all  generations. 

25  Of  old  Thou  didst  found  the  earth, 

And  the  heavens  are  the  work  of  Thy  hands. 

26  They,  they  shall  perish,  but  Thou,  Thou  shalt  continue. 
And  all  of  them  like  a  garment  shall  wear  out, 

Like  a  robe  shalt  Thou  change  them,  and  they  shall  be 
changed, 

27  But  Thou  art  He, 

And  Thy  years  shall  never  end. 

28  The  sons  of  Thy  servants  shall  dwell, 

And  their  seed  shall  be  established  before  Thoc, 

VERSES  13,  14,  show  that  the  psalm  was  written 
when  Zion  was  in  ruins  and  the  time  of  her 
restoration  at  hand.  Sadness  shot  with  hope,  as  a 
cloud  with  sunlight,  is  the  singer's  mood.  The  pres- 
sure of  present  sorrows  points  to  the  time  of  the  Exile  ; 
the  lightening  of  these,  by  the  expectation  that  the 
hour  for  their  cessation  has  all  but  struck,  points  to 
the  close  of  that  period.  There  is  a  general  consensus 
of  opinion  on  this,  though  Baethgcn  is  hesitatingly 
inclined  to  adopt  the  Maccabcan  date,  and  Cheyne 
prefers   the   time   of  Nehemiah,    mainly   because   the 


cii.]  THE  PSALMS  89 

references  to  the  "  stones  "  and  "  dust "  recall  to  him 
"  Nehemiah's  lonely  ride  round  the  burned  walls,"  and 
"  Sanballat's  mocking  at  the  Jews  for  attempting  to 
revive  the  stones  out  of  heaps  of  rubbish"  ('*  Orig.  of 
Psalt.,"  p.  70).  These  references  would  equally  suit  any 
period  of  desolation  ;  but  the  point  of  time  indicated  by 
ver.  13  is  more  probably  the  eve  of  restoration  than 
the  completion  of  the  begun  and  interrupted  re-esta- 
blishment of  Israel  in  its  land.  Like  many  of  the  later 
psalms,  this  is  largely  coloured  by  earlier  ones,  as  well 
as  by  Deuteronomy,  Job,  and  the  second  half  of  Isaiah, 
while  it  has  also  reminiscences  of  Jeremiah.  Some 
commentators  have,  indeed,  supposed  it  to  be  his  work. 

The  turns  of  thought  are  simple.  While  there  is  no 
clear  strophical  arrangement,  there  are  four  broadly  dis- 
tinguished parts  :  a  prelude,  invoking  God  to  hearken 
(vv.  I,  2) ;  a  plaintive  bemoaning  of  the  psalmist's 
condition  (vv.  3-1 1);  a  triumphant  rising  above  his 
sorrows,  and  rejoicing  in  the  fair  vision  of  a  restored 
Jerusalem,  whose  Temple-courts  the  nations  tread 
(vv.  12-22);  and  a  momentary  glance  at  his  sorrows 
and  brief  life,  which  but  spurs  him  to  lay  hold  the 
more  joyously  on  God's  eternity,  wherein  he  finds  the 
pledge  of  the  fulfilment  of  his  hopes  and  of  God's 
promises  (vv.  23-28). 

The  opening  invocations  in  vv.  i,  2,  are  mostly 
found  in  other  psalms.  "  Let  my  cry  come  unto  Thee  " 
recalls  Psalm  xviii.  6.  "  Hide  not  Thy  face  "  is  like 
Psalm  xxvii.  9.  "  In  the  day  of  my  straits  "  recurs  in 
Psalm  lix.  16.  "Bend  to  me  Thy  ear"  is  in  Psalm 
xxxi.  2.  "  In  the  day  when  I  call "  is  as  in  Psalm 
Ivi.  9.  "  Answer  me  speedily  "  is  found  in  Psalm  Ixix. 
17.  But  the  psalmist  is  not  a  cold-blooded  compiler, 
weaving  a  web  from  old  threads,  but  a  suffering  man. 


90  THE  PSALMS 


fain  to  give  his  desires  voice,  in  words  which  sufferers 
before  him  had  hallowed,  and  securing  a  certain  solace 
by  reiterating  familiar  petitions.  They  are  none  the 
less  his  own,  because  they  have  been  the  cry  of  others. 
Some  aroma  of  the  answers  that  they  drew  down  in 
the  past  clings  to  them  still,  and  makes  them  fragrant 
to  him. 

Sorrow  and  pain  are  sometimes  dumb,  but,  in  Eastern 
natures,  more  often  eloquent ;  finding  ease  in  recount- 
ing their  pangs.  The  psalmist's  first  words  of  self- 
lamentation  echo  familiar  strains,  as  he  bases  his  cry 
for  speedy  answer  on  the  swiftness  with  which  his 
days  are  being  whirled  away,  and  melting  Uke  smoke 
as  it  escapes  from  a  chimney.  The  image  suggests 
another.  The  fire  that  makes  the  smoke  is  that  in 
which  his  very  bones  are  smouldering  like  a  brand. 
The  word  for  bones  is  in  the  singular,  the  bony  frame- 
work being  thought  of  as  articulated  into  a  whole. 
"  Brand  "  is  a  doubtful  rendering  of  a  word  which  the 
Authorised  Version,  following  some  ancient  Jewish 
authorities,  renders  hearth,  as  do  Delitzsch  and  Cheyne. 
It  is  used  in  Isa.  xxxiii.  14  as  =  "  burning,"  but  "  brand  " 
is  required  to  make  out  the  metaphor.  The  same 
theme  of  physical  decay  is  continued  in  ver.  4,  with 
a  new  image  struck  out  by  the  ingenuity  of  pain.  His 
heart  is  "  smitten  "  as  by  sunstroke  (compare  Psalm  cxxi. 
6,  Isa.  xlix.  10,  and  for  still  closer  parallels  Hosea 
ix,  16,  Jonah  iv.  7,  in  both  of  which  the  same  effect 
of  fierce  sunshine  is  described  as  the  sufferer  here 
bewails).  His  heart  withers  like  Jonah's  gourd.  The 
"For"  in  ver.  4^*  can  scarcely  be  taken  as  giving  the 
reason  for  this  withering.  It  must  rather  be  taken  as 
giving  the  proof  that  it  was  so  withered,  as  might  be 
concluded  by  beholders  from  the  fact  that  he  refused 


cii.]  THE  PSALMS  91 

his  food  (Baethgen).  The  psalmist  apparently  intends 
in  ver.  5  to  describe  himself  as  worn  to  a  skeleton  by 
long-continued  and  passionate  lamentations.  But  his 
phrase  is  singular.  One  can  understand  that  emacia- 
tion should  be  described  by  saying  that  the  bones 
adhered  to  the  skin,  the  flesh  having  wasted  away, 
but  that  they  stick  to  the  flesh  can  only  describe  it,  by 
giving  a  wide  meaning  to  "flesh,"  as  including  the 
whole  outward  part  of  the  frame  in  contrast  with  the 
internal  framework.  Lam.  iv.  8  gives  the  more  natural 
expression.  The  psalmist  has  groaned  himself  into 
emaciation.  Sadness  and  solitude  go  well  together. 
We  plunge  into  lonely  places  when  we  would  give 
voice  to  our  grief.  The  poet's  imagination  sees  his 
own  likeness  in  solitude-loving  creatures.  The  pelican 
is  never  now  seen  in  Palestine  but  on  Lake  Huleh. 
Thomson  ("Land  and  Book,"  p.  260:  London,  1861) 
speaks  of  having  found  it  there  only,  and  describes  it  as 
"  the  most  sombre,  austere  bird  I  ever  saw."  "  The  owl 
of  the  ruins  "  is  identified  by  Tristram  ("  Land  of  Israel," 
p.  6y)  with  the  small  owl  Athene  meridionalis,  the  emblem 
of  Minerva,  which  "  is  very  characteristic  of  all  the 
hilly  and  rocky  portions  of  Syria."  The  sparrow  may 
be  here  a  generic  term  for  any  small  song-bird,  but 
there  is  no  need  for  departing  from  the  narrower 
meaning.  Thomson  (p.  43)  says  :  "  When  one  of  them 
has  lost  his  mate — an  every-day  occurrence — he  will 
sit  on  the  housetop  alone  and  lament  by  the  hour." 

The  division  of  ver.  7  is  singular,  as  the  main  pause  in 
it  falls  on  "  am  become,"  to  the  disruption  of  the  logical 
continuity.  The  difficulty  is  removed  by  Wickes 
("Accentuation  of  the  Poetical  Books,"  p.  29),  who  gives 
several  instances  which  seem  to  establish  the  law  that, 
in  the  musical   accentuation,    there   is    "  an   apparent 


92  THE  PSALMS 


reluctance  to  place  the  main  dividing  accent  after  the 
first,  or  before  the  last,  word  of  the  verse."  The 
division  is  not  logical,  and  we  may  venture  to  neglect 
it,  and  arrange  as  above,  restoring  the  dividing  accent 
to  its  place  after  the  first  word.  Others  turn  the  flank 
of  the  difficulty  by  altering  the  text  to  read,  "  I  am 
sleepless  and  must  moan  aloud "  (so  Cheyne,  follow- 
ing Olshausen). 

Yet  another  drop  of  bitterness  in  the  psalmist's  cup 
is  the  frantic  hatred  which  pours  itself  out  in  voluble 
mockery  all  day  long,  making  a  running  accompaniment 
to  his  wail.  Solitary  as  he  is,  he  cannot  get  beyond 
hearing  of  shrill  insults.  So  miserable  does  he  seem, 
that  enemies  take  him  and  his  distresses  for  a  formula 
of  imprecation,  and  can  find  no  blacker  curse  to  launch 
at  other  foes  than  to  wish  that  they  may  be  like  him. 
So  ashes,  the  token  of  mourning,  are  his  food,  instead 
of  the  bread  which  he  had  forgotten  to  eat,  and  there 
are  more  tears  than  wine  in  the  cup  he  drinks. 

But  all  this  only  tells  how  sad  he  is.  A  deeper 
depth  opens  when  he  remembers  why  he  is  sad.  The 
bitterest  thought  to  a  sufferer  is  that  his  sufferings 
indicate  God's  displeasure ;  but  it  may  be  wholesome 
bitterness,  which,  leading  to  the  recognition  of  the  sin 
which  evokes  the  wrath,  may  change  into  a  solemn 
thankfulness  for  sorrows  which  are  discerned  to  be 
chastisements,  inflicted  by  that  Love  of  which  indigna- 
tion is  one  form.  The  psalmist  confesses  sin  in  the 
act  of  bewailing  sorrow,  and  sees  behind  all  his  pains 
the  working  of  that  hand  whose  interposition  for  him 
he  ventures  to  implore.  The  tremendous  metaphor  of 
ver.  10  b  pictures  it  as  thrust  forth  from  heaven  to 
grasp  the  feeble  sufferer,  as  an  eagle  stoops  to  plunge 
its  talons  into  a  lamb.     It  lifts  him  high,  only  to  give 


cii.]  THE  PSALMS  93 

more  destructive  impetus  to  the  force  witii  which  it 
flings  him  down,  to  the  place  where  he  lies,  a  huddled 
heap  of  broken  bones  and  wounds.  His  plaint  returns 
to  its  beginning,  lamenting  the  brief  life  which  is  being 
wasted  away  by  sore  distress.  Lengthening  shadows 
tell  of  approaching  night.  His  day  is  nearing  sunset. 
It  will  be  dark  soon,  and,  as  he  has  said  (ver.  4),  his 
very  self  is  withering  and  becoming  like  dried-up 
herbage. 

One  can  scarcely  miss  the  tone  of  individual  sorrow 
in  the  preceding  verses ;  but  national  restoration,  not 
personal  deliverance,  is  the  theme  of  the  triumphant 
central  part  of  the  psalm.  That  is  no  reason  for  flatten- 
ing the  previous  verses  into  the  voice  of  the  personified 
Israel,  but  rather  for  hearing  in  them  the  sighing  of 
one  exile,  on  whom  the  general  burden  weighed  sorely. 
He  lifts  his  tear-laden  eyes  to  heaven,  and  catches  a 
vision  there  which  changes,  as  by  magic,  the  key  of  his 
song — Jehovah  sitting  in  royal  state  (compare  Psalms 
ix.  7,  xxix.  10)  for  ever.  That  silences  complaints, 
breathes  courage  into  the  feeble  and  hope  into  the 
despairing.  In  another  mood  the  thought  of  the  eternal 
rule  of  God  might  make  man's  mortality  more  bitter, 
but  Faith  grasps  it,  as  enfolding  assurances  which  turn 
groaning  into  ringing  praise.  For  the  vision  is  not 
only  of  an  everlasting  Some  One  who  works  a  sovereign 
will,  but  of  the  age-long  dominion  of  Him  whose  name 
is  Jehovah  ;  and  since  that  name  is  the  revelation  of 
His  nature,  it,  too,  endures  for  ever.  It  is  the  name  of 
Israel's  covenant-making  and  keeping  God.  Therefore, 
ancient  promises  have  not  gone  to  water,  though  Israel 
is  an  exile,  and  all  the  old  comfort  and  confidence  are 
still  welling  up  from  the  Name.  Zion  cannot  die  while 
Zion's  God  lives.     Lam.  v.    19  is  probably  the  original 


94  THE  PSALMS 


of  this  verse,  but  the  psalmist  has  changed  "  throne  " 
into  "  memorial,"  i.e.  name,  and  thereby  deepened  the 
thought.  The  assurance  that  God  will  restore  Zion 
rests  not  only  on  His  faithfulness,  but  on  signs  which 
show  that  the  sky  is  reddening  towards  the  day  ot 
redemption.  The  singer  sees  the  indication  that  the 
hour  fixed  in  God's  eternal  counsels  is  at  hand,  because 
he  sees  how  God's  servants,  who  have  a  claim  on  Him 
and  are  in  sympathy  with  His  purposes,  yearn  lovingly 
after  the  sad  ruins  and  dust  of  the  forlorn  city.  Some 
new  acGess  of  such  feelings  must  have  been  stirring 
among  the  devouter  part  of  the  exiles.  Many  large 
truths  are  wrapped  in  the  psalmist's  words.  The 
desolations  of  Zion  knit  true  hearts  to  her  more  closely. 
The  more  the  Church  or  any  good  cause  is  depressed, 
the  more  need  for  its  friends  to  cling  to  it.  God's 
servants  should  see  that  their  sympathies  go  toward 
the  same  objects  as  God's  do.  They  are  proved  to  be 
His  servants,  because  they  favour  what  He  favours. 
Their  regards,  turned  to  existing  evils,  are  the  precur- 
sors of  Divine  intervention  for  the  remedy  of  these. 
When  good  men  begin  to  lay  the  Church's  or  the  world's 
miseries  to  heart,  it  is  a  sign  that  God  is  beginning  to 
heal  them.  The  cry  of  God's  servants  can  "  hasten 
the  day  of  the  Lord,"  and  preludes  His  appearance  like 
the  keen  morning  air  stirring  the  sleeping  flowers 
before  sunrise. 

The  psalmist  anticipates  that  a  rebuilt  Zion  will 
ensure  a  worshipping  world.  He  expresses  that  con- 
fidence, which  he  shares  with  Isa.  xl.-lxvi.,  in  vv,  15-18. 
The  name  and  glory  of  Jehovah  will  become  objects  of 
reverence  to  all  the  earth,  because  of  the  manifestation 
of  them  by  the  rebuilding  of  Zion,  which  is  a  witness 
to  all  men  of  His   power  and  tender  regard  to  His 


cii.]  THE  PSALMS  95 

people's  cry.  The  past  tenses  of  vv,  16,  17,  do  not 
indicate  that  the  psalm  is  later  than  the  Restoration.  It 
is  contemplated  as  already  accomplished,  because  it  is 
the  occasion  of  the  "fear"  prophesied  in  ver.  15,  and 
consequently  prior  in  time  to  it.  "  Destitute,"  in  ver.  17, 
is  literally  naked  or  stript.  It  is  used  in  Jer.  xvii.  6  as 
the  name  of  a  desert  plant,  probably  a  dwarf  juniper, 
stunted  and  dry,  but  seems  to  be  employed  here  as 
simply  designating  utter  destitution.  Israel  had  been 
stripped  of  every  beauty  and  made  naked  before  her 
enemies.  Despised,  she  had  cried  to  God,  and  now  is 
clothed  again  with  the  garments  of  salvation,  "as  a 
bride  adorneth  herself  with  her  jewels." 

A  wondering  world  will  adore  her  delivering  God. 
The  glowing  hopes  of  psalmist  and  prophet  seem  to 
be  dreams,  since  the  restored  Israel  attracted  no  such 
observance  and  wrought  no  such  convictions.  But  the 
singer  was  not  wrong  in  believing  that  the  coming  of 
Jehovah  in  His  glory  for  the  rebuilding  of  Zion  would 
sway  the  world  to  homage.  His  facts  were  right,  but 
he  did  not  know  their  perspective,  nor  could  he  under- 
stand how  many  weary  years  lay,  like  a  deep  gorge 
hidden  from  the  eye  of  one  who  looks  over  a  wide 
prospect,  between  the  rebuilding  of  which  he  was  think- 
ing, and  that  truer  establishment  of  the  city  of  God, 
which  is  again  parted  from  the  period  of  universal  recog- 
nition of  Jehovah's  glory  by  so  many  sad  and  stormy 
generations.  But  the  vision  is  true.  The  coming  of 
Jehovah  in  His  glory  will  be  followed  by  a  world's 
recognition  of  its  light. 

That  praise  accruing  to  Jehovah  shall  be  not  only 
universal,  but  shall  go  on  sounding,  with  increasing 
volume  in  its  tone,  through  coming  generations.  This 
expectation  is  set  forth  in  vv.  18-22,  which  substan- 


96  THE  PSALMS 


tially  reiterate  the  thought  of  the  preceding,  with  the 
addition  that  there  is  to  be  a  new  Israel,  a  people  yet 
to  be  created  (Psalm  xxii.  31).  The  psalmist  did  not 
know  "  the  deep  things  he  spoke."  He  did  know 
that  Israel  was  immortal,  and  that  the  seed  of  life  was 
in  the  tree  that  had  cast  its  leaves  and  stood  bare  and 
apparently  dead.  But  he  did  not  know  the  process  by 
which  that  new  Israel  was  to  be  created,  nor  the  new 
elements  of  which  it  was  to  consist.  His  confidence 
teaches  us  never  to  despair  of  the  future  of  God's  Church, 
however  low  its  present  state,  but  to  look  down  the 
ages,  in  calm  certainty  that,  however  externals  may 
change,  the  succession  of  God's  children  will  never  fail, 
nor  the  voice  of  their  praise  ever  fall  silent. 

The  course  of  God's  intervention  for  Israel  is  de- 
scribed in  vv.  19,  20.  His  looking  down  from  heaven 
is  equivalent  to  His  observance,  as  the  all-seeing  Witness 
and  Judge  (compare  Psalms  xiv.  2,  xxxiii.  13,  14,  etc.), 
and  is  preparatory  to  His  hearing  the  sighing  of  the 
captive  Israel,  doomed  to  death.  The  language  of 
ver.  20  is  apparently  drawn  from  Psalm  Ixxix.  ii. 
The  thought  corresponds  to  that  of  ver.  17.  The  pur- 
pose of  His  intervention  is  set  forth  in  vv.  21,  22,  as 
being  the  declaration  of  Jehovah's  name  and  praise 
in  Jerusalem  before  a  gathered  world.  The  aim  of 
Jehovah's  dealings  is  that  all  men,  through  all  genera- 
tions, may  know  and  praise  Him.  That  is  but  another 
way  of  saying  that  He  infinitely  desires,  and  perpetually 
works  for,  men's  highest  good.  For  our  sakes,  He 
desires  so  much  that  we  should  know  Him,  since  the 
knowledge  is  life  eternal.  He  is  not  greedy  of  adulation 
nor  dependent  on  recognition,  but  He  loves  men  too 
well  not  to  rejoice  in  being  understood  and  loved  by 
them,  since  Love  ever  hungers  for  return.    The  psalmist 


cii.]  THE  PSALMS  97 


saw  what  shall  one  day  be,  when,  far  down  the  ages, 
he  beheld  the  world  gathered  in  the  temple-courts,  and 
heard  the  shout  of  their  praise  borne  to  him  up  the 
stream  of  time.  He  penetrated  to  the  inmost  meaning 
of  the  Divine  acts,  when  he  proclaimed  that  they  were 
all  done  for  the  manifestation  of  the  Name,  which 
cannot  but  be  praised  when  it  is  known. 

If  the  poet  was  one  of  the  exiles,  on  whom  the  burden 
of  the  general  calamity  weighed  as  a  personal  sorrow, 
it  is  very  natural  that  his  glowing  anticipations  of 
national  restoration  should  be,  as  in  this  psalm,  enclosed 
in  a  setting  of  more  individual  complaint  and  petition. 
The  transition  from  these  to  the  purely  impersonal 
centre  of  the  psalm,  and  the  recurrence  to  them  in 
vv.  23-28,  are  inexplicable,  if  the  "  I  "  of  the  first  and 
last  parts  is  Israel,  but  perfectly  intelligible  if  it  is  one 
Israelite.  For  a  moment  the  tone  of  sadness  is  heard 
in  ver.  23  ;  but  the  thought  of  his  own  afQicted  and 
brief  life  is  but  a  stimulus  to  the  psalmist  to  lay  hold 
of  God's  immutability  and  to  find  rest  there.  The 
Hebrew  text  reads  "  His  strength,"  and  is  followed 
by  the  LXX.,  Vulgate,  Hengstenberg,  and  Kay  ("  He 
afflicted  on  the  way  with  His  power");  but  the  read- 
ing of  the  Hebrew  margin,  adopted  above  and  by  most 
commentators,  is  preferable,  as  supplying  an  object  for 
the  verb,  which  is  lacking  in  the  former  reading,  and 
as  corresponding  to  "  my  days  "  in  b. 

The  psalmist  has  felt  the  exhaustion  of  long  sorrow 
and  the  shortness  of  his  term.  Will  God  do  all  these 
glorious  things  of  which  he  has  been  singing,  and  he, 
the  singer,  not  be  there  to  see  ?  That  would  mingle 
bitterness  in  his  triumphant  anticipations  ;  for  it  would 
be  little  to  him,  lying  in  his  grave,  that  Zion  should 
be  built  again.     The   hopes   with   which   some   would 

VOL.   HI.  7 


98  THE  PSALMS 


console  us  for  the  loss  of  the  Christian  assurance  of 
immortality,  that  the  race  shall  march  on  to  new 
power  and  nobleness,  are  poor  substitutes  for  continu- 
ance of  our  own  lives  and  for  our  own  participation  in 
the  glories  of  the  future.  The  psalmist's  prayer,  which 
takes  God's  eternity  as  its  reason  for  deprecating  his 
own  premature  death,  echoes  the  inextinguishable  con- 
fidence of  the  devout  heart,  that  somehow  even  its 
fleeting  being  has  a  claim  to  be  assimilated  in  duration 
to  its  Eternal  Object  of  trust  and  aspiration.  The 
contrast  between  God's  years  and  man's  days  may  be 
brooded  on  in  bitterness  or  in  hope.  They  who  are 
driven  by  thinking  of  their  own  mortality  to  clutch, 
with  prayerful  faith,  God's  eternity,  use  the  one  aright, 
and  will  not  be  deprived  of  the  other. 

The  solemn  grandeur  of  vv.  25,  26,  needs  little  com- 
mentary, but  it  may  be  noted  that  a  reminiscence  of 
Isaiah  II.  runs  through  them,  both  in  the  description  of 
the  act  of  creation  of  heaven  and  earth  (Isa.  xlviii.  13, 
xliv.  24),  and  in  that  of  their  deca^ying  like  a  garment 
(Isa.  li.  6,  liv.  10).  That  which  has  been  created  can 
be  removed.  The  creatural  is  necessarily  the  transient. 
Possibly,  too,  the  remarkable  expression  "changed," 
as  applied  to  the  visible  creation,  may  imply  the 
thought  which  had  already  been  expressed  in  Isaiah, 
and  was  destined  to  receive  such  deepening  by  the 
Christian  truth  of  the  new  heavens  and  new  earth — a 
truth  the  contents  of  which  are  dim  to  us  until  it  is 
fulfilled.  But  whatever  may  be  the  fate  of  creatures, 
He  who  receives  no  accession  to  His  stable  being 
by  originating  suffers  no  diminution  by  extinguishing 
them.  Man's  days,  the  earth's  ages,  and  the  aeons  of 
the  heavens  pass,  and  still  *'  Thou  art  He,"  the  same 
Unchanging  Author  of  change.     Measures  of  time  fail 


oil.]  THE  PSALMS  $9 

when  applied  to  His  being,  whose  years  have  not  that 
which  all  divisions  of  time  have — an  end.  An  unend- 
ing year  is  a  paradox,  which,  in  relation  to  God,  is  a 
truth. 

It  is  remarkable  that  the  psalmist  does  not  draw  the 
conclusion  that  he  himself  shall  receive  an  answer  to 
his  prayer,  but  that  '*  the  children  of  Thy  servants  shall 
dwell,"  i.e.  in  the  land,  and  that  there  will  always  be 
an  Israel  "established  before  Thee."  He  contemplates 
successive  generations  as  in  turn  dwelhng  in  the 
promised  land  (and  perhaps  in  the  ancient  "dwelling- 
place  to  all  generations,"  even  in  God) ;  but  of  his  own 
continuance  he  is  silent.  Was  he  not  assured  of  that  ? 
or  was  he  so  certain  of  the  answer  to  his  prayer  that 
he  had  forgotten  himself  in  the  vision  of  the  eternal 
God  and  the  abiding  Israel  ?  Having  regard  to  the 
late  date  of  the  psalm,  it  is  hard  to  believe  that  silence 
meant  ignorance,  while  it  may  well  be  that  it  means 
a  less  vivid  and  assured  hope  of  immortality,  and  a 
smaller  space  occupied  by  that  hope  than  with  us. 
But  the  other  explanation  is  not  to  be  left  out  of  view, 
and  the  psalmist's  oblivion  of  self  in  rapt  gazing  on 
God's  eternal  being — the  pledge  of  His  servants'  per- 
petuity— may  teach  us  that  we  reach  the  summit  of 
Faith  when  we  lose  ourselves  in  God. 

The  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews  quotes  vv.  25-27  as 
spoken  of  "  the  Son."  Such  an  application  of  the 
words  rests  on  the  fact  that  the  psalm  speaks  of  the 
coming  of  Jehovah  for  redemption,  who  is  none  other 
than  Jehovah  manifested  fully  in  the  Messiah.  But 
Jehovah  whose  coming  brings  redemption  and  His 
recognition  by  the  world  is  also  Creator.  Since,  then, 
the  Incarnation  is,  in  truth,  the  coming  of  Jehovah, 
which   the  psalmist,  like  all   the   prophets,  looked  for 


THE  PSALMS 


as  the  consummation,  He  in  whom  the  redeeming 
Jehovah  was  manifested  is  He  in  whom  Jehovah  the 
Creator  "  made  the  worlds."  The  writer  of  the  Epistle 
is  not  asserting  that  the  psalmist  consciously  spoke  of 
the  Messiah,  but  he  is  declaring  that  his  words,  read 
in  the  light  of  history,  point  to  Jesus  as  the  crowning 
manifestation  of  the  redeeming,  and  therefore  necessarily 
of  the  creating,  God. 


PSALM  cm. 

1  Bless  Jehovah,  my  soul, 

And  all  within  mc  [bless]  His  holy  name  ! 

2  Bless  Jehovah,  my  soul ! 

And  forget  not  all  His  benefits, 

3  Who  forgives  all  thy  inquity, 
Who  heals  all  thy  diseases, 

4  Who  redeems  thy  life  from  the  pit. 

Who  crowns  thee  [with]  loving-kindness  and  compassions, 

5  Who  satisfies  thy  mouth  (?)  with  good, 

[So  that]  thy  youth  is  renewed  like  the  eagle. 

6  Jehovah  executes  righteousness 
And  judgments  for  all  the  oppressed. 

7  He  made  known  His  ways  to  Moses, 

To  the  children  of  Israel  His  great  deeds. 

8  Full  of  compassion  and  gracious  is  Jehovah, 
Slow  to  anger  and  abundant  in  loving-kindness. 

9  He  will  not  continually  contend, 
And  will  not  keep  His  anger  for  ever. 

10  Not  according  to  our  sins  has  He  dealt  with  us. 

And  not  according  to  our  iniquities  has  He  recompensed  us. 

1 1  For  as  high  as  the  heavens  are  above  the  earth, 

[So]  great  is  His  loving-kindness  to  them  that  fear  Him. 

12  As  far  as  sunrise  is  from  sunset, 

[So]  far  has  He  put  our  transgressions  from  us. 

13  As  a  father  has  compassion  on  his  children, 
Jehovah  has  compassion  on  them  that  fear  Him. 

14  For  He — He  knows  our  frame. 
Being  mindful  that  wc  are  dust. 

15  Frail  man — like  grass  are  his  days. 
Like  a  flower  of  the  field,  so  he  flowers. 

16  For  a  wind  passes  over  him  and  he  is  not, 
And  his  place  knows  him  no  more. 

lOI 


THE  PSALMS 


17  But  the  loving-kindness  of  Jehovah  is  from  everlasting 

even  to  everlasting  upon  them  that  fear  Him, 
And  His  righteousness  is  to  children's  children; 

18  To  those  who  keep  His  covenant, 

And  to  those  who  remember  His  statutes  to  do  them. 

19  Jehovah  has  established  His  throne  in  the  heavens, 
And  His  kingdom  rules  over  all. 

20  Bless  Jehovah,  ye.  His  angels. 

Ye  mighty  in  strength,  who  perform  His  word. 
Hearkening  to  the  voice  of  His  word  ! 

21  Bless  Jehovah,  all  His  hosts, 

Ye  His  ministers,  who  perform  His  will ! 

22  Bless  Jehovah,  all  His  works, 
In  all  places  of  His  dominion  ! 
Bless  Jehovah,  my  soul ! 

THERE  are  no  clouds  in  the  horizon,  nor  notes  of 
sadness  in  the  music,  of  this  psalm.  No  purer 
outburst  of  thankfulness  enriches  the  Church.  It  is 
well  that,  amid  the  many  psalms  which  give  voice  to 
mingled  pain  and  trust,  there  should  be  one  of  unalloyed 
gladness,  as  untouched  by  sorrow  as  if  sung  by  spirits 
in  heaven.  Because  it  is  thus  purely  an  outburst  of 
thankful  joy,  it  is  the  more  fit  to  be  pondered  in  times 
of  sorrow. 

The  psalmist's  praise  flows  in  one  unbroken  stream. 
There  are  no  clear  marks  of  division,  but  the  river 
broadens  as  it  runs,  and  personal  benefits  and  individual 
praise  open  out  into  gifts  which  are  seen  to  fill  the 
universe,  and  thanksgiving  which  is  heard  from  every 
extremity  of  His  wide  dominion  of  loving-kindness. 

In  ver.  1-5  the  psalmist  sings  of  his  own  experi- 
ence. His  spirit,  or  ruling  self,  calls  on  his  "soul,"  the 
weaker  and  more  feminine  part,  which  may  be  cast 
down  (Psalms  xlii.,  xliii.)  by  sorrow,  and  needs  stimulus 
and  control,  to  contemplate  God's  gifts  and  to  praise 
Him.     A  good  man  will  rouse  himself  to  such  exercise, 


ciJi.]  THE  PSALMS  103 

and  coerce  his  more  sensuous  and  sluggish  faculties  to 
their  noblest  use.  Especially  must  memory  be  directed, 
for  it  keeps  woefully  short-lived  records  of  mercies, 
especially  of  continuous  ones.  God's  gifts  are  all 
"benefits,"  whether  they  are  bright  or  dark.  The 
catalogue  of  blessings  lavished  on  the  singer's  soul 
begins  with  forgiveness  and  ends  with  immortal  youth. 
The  profound  consciousness  of  sin,  which  it  was  one 
aim  of  the  Law  to  evoke,  underlies  the  psalmist's  praise  ; 
and  he  who  does  not  feel  that  no  blessings  could  come 
from  heaven,  unless  forgiveness  cleared  the  way  for 
them,  has  yet  to  learn  the  deepest  music  of  thankfulness. 
It  is  followed  by  "  healing  "  of  "  all  thy  diseases,"  which 
is  no  cure  of  merely  bodily  ailments,  any  more  than 
redeeming  of  life  "from  the  pit"  is  simpl}^  preservation 
of  physical  existence.  In  both  there  is  at  least  included, 
even  if  we  do  not  say  that  it  only  is  in  view,  the 
operation  of  the  pardoning  God  in  delivering  from  the 
sicknesses  and  death  of  the  spirit. 

The  soul  thus  forgiven  and  healed  is  crowned  with 
"  loving-kindness  and  compassions,"  wreathed  into  a 
garland  for  a  festive  brow,  and  its  adornment  is  not 
only  a  result  of  these  Divine  attributes,  but  the  very 
things  themselves,  so  that  an  effluence  from  God 
beautifies  the  soul.  Nor  is  even  this  all,  for  the  same 
gifts  which  are  beauty  are  also  sustenance,  and  God 
satisfies  the  soul  with  good,  especially  with  the  only 
real  good,  Himself  The  word  rendered  above  "  mouth  " 
is  extremely  difficult.  It  is  found  in  Psalm  xxxii.  9, 
where  it  seems  best  taken  in  the  meaning  of  trap- 
pings or  harness.  That  meaning  is  inappropriate 
here,  though  Hupfeld  tries  to  retain  it.  The  LXX. 
renders  "  desire,"  which  fits  well,  but  can  scarcely 
be  established.     Other  renderings,  such  as  "  age  "  or 


104  THE  PSALMS 


"  duration  " — i.e.,  the  whole  extent  of  Hfe — have  been 
suggested.  Hengstenberg  and  others  regard  the  word 
as  a  designation  of  the  soul,  somewhat  resembUng  the 
other  term  applied  to  it,  "  glory  " ;  but  the  fact  that  it 
is  the  soul  which  is  addressed  negatives  that  explanation. 
Graetz  and  others  resort  to  a  slight  textual  alteration, 
resulting  in  the  reading  "  thy  misery."  Delitzsch,  in . 
his  latest  editions,  adopts  this  emendation  doubtingly, 
and  supposes  that  with  the  word  misay  or  affliction 
there  is  associated  the  idea  "  of  beseeching  and  there- 
fore of  longing,"  whence  the  LXX.  rendering  would 
originate.  "  Mouth  "  is  the  most  natural  word  in  such  a 
connection,  and  its  retention  here  is  sanctioned  by  "the 
interpretation  of  the  older  versions  in  Psalm  xxxii.  9 
and  the  Arabic  cognate "  (Perowne).  It  is  therefore 
retained  above,  though  with  some  i^eluctance. 

How  should  a  man  thus  dealt  with  grow  old  ?  The 
body  may,  but  not  the  soul.  Rather  it  will  drop  powers 
that  can  decay,  and  for  each  thus  lost  will  gain  a 
stronger — moulting,  and  not  being  stripped  of  its  wings, 
though  it  changes  their  feathers.  There  is  no  need  to 
make  the  psalmist  responsible  for  the  fables  of  the 
eagle's  renewal  of  its  youth.  The  comparison  with  the 
monarch  of  the  air  does  not  refer  to  the  process  by 
which  the  soul's  wings  are  made  strong,  but  to  the 
result  in  wings  that  never  tire,  but  bear  their  possessor 
far  up  in  the  blue  and  towards  the  throne. 

In  vv.  6-18  the  psalmist  sweeps  a  greater  circle,  and 
deals  with  God's  blessings  to  mankind.  He  has  Israel 
specifically  in  view  in  the  earlier  verges,  but  passes 
beyond  Israel  to  all  "  who  fear  Him."  It  is  very 
instructive  that  he  begins  with  the  definite  fact  of 
God's  revelation  through  Moses.  He  is  not  spinning 
a  filmy  idea  of  a  God  out  of  his  own  consciousness, 


THE  PSALMS  105 


but  he  has  learned  all  that  he  knows  of  Him  from  His 
historical  self-revelation.  A  hymn  of  praise  which 
has  not  revelation  for  its  basis  will  have  many  a 
quaver  of  doubt.  The  God  of  men's  imaginations, 
consciences,  or  yearnings  is  a  dim  shadow.  The  God 
to  whom  love  turns  undoubting  and  praise  rises  without 
one  note  of  discord  is  the  God  who  has  spoken  His 
own  name  by  deeds  which  have  entered  into  the 
history  of  the  world.  And  what  has  He  revealed 
Himself  to  be  ?  The  psalmist  answers  almost  in  the 
words  of  the  proclamation  made  to  Moses  (vv.  8,  9). 
The  lawgiver  had  prayed,  **  I  beseech  Thee  .  .  .  show 
me  now  Thy  ways,  that  I  may  know  Thee  " ;  and  the 
prayer  had  been  granted,  when  "  the  Lord  passed  by 
before  him,"  and  proclaimed  His  name  as  "  full  of 
compassion  and  gracious,  slow  to  anger,  and  plenteous 
in  mercy  and  truth."  That  proclamation  fills  the 
singer's  heart,  and  his  whole  soul  leaps  up  in  him, 
as  he  meditates  on  its  depth  and  sweetness.  Now, 
after  so  many  centuries  of  experience,  Israel  can  repeat 
with  full  assurance  the  ancient  self-revelation,  which 
has  been  proved  true  by  many  "  mighty  deeds." 

The  psalmist's  thoughts  are  still  circling  round  the 
idea  of  forgiveness,  with  which  he  began  his  con- 
templations. He  and  his  people  equally  need  it ;  and 
all  that  revelation  of  God's  character  bears  directly 
on  His  relation  to  sin.  Jehovah  is  "long  of  anger" — 
i.e.,  slow  to  allow  it  to  flash  out  in  punishment — and 
as  lavish  of  loving-kindness  as  sparing  of  wrath.  That 
character  is  disclosed  by  deeds.  Jehovah's  graciousness 
forces  Him  to  "contend"  against  a  man's  sins  for  the 
man's  sake.  But  it  forbids  Him  to  be  perpetually 
chastising  and  condemning,  like  a  harsh  taskmaster. 
Nor  does  He  keep  His  anger  ever  burning,  though  He 


io6  THE  PSALMS 


does  keep  His  loving-kindness  aflame  for  a  thousand 

generations.  Lightning  is  transitory  ;  sunshine,  con- 
stant. Whatever  His  chastisements,  they  have  been 
less  than  our  sins.  The  heaviest  is  "  light,"  and  "  for 
a  moment,"  when  compared  with  the  **  exceeding  weight 
of"  our  guilt. 

The  glorious  metaphors  in  vv.  1 1 ,  12,  traverse 
heaven  to  the  zenith,  and  from  sunrise  to  sunset,  to 
find  distances  distant  enough  to  express  the  towering 
height  of  God's  mercy  and  the  completeness  of  His 
removal  from  us  of  our  sins.  That  pure  arch,  the  top- 
stone  of  which  nor  wings  nor  thoughts  can  reach,  sheds 
down  all  light  and  heat  which  make  growth  and  cherish 
life.  It  is  high  above  us,  but  it  pours  blessings  on  us, 
and  it  bends  down  all  round  the  horizon  to  kiss  the 
low,  dark  earth.  The  loving-kindness  of  Jehovah  is 
similarly  lofty,  boundless,  all-fructifying.  In  ver.  1 1  Z> 
the  parallelism  would  be  more  complete  if  a  small  textual 
alteration  were  adopted,  which  would  give  "  high " 
instead  of  "  great "  ;  but  the  slight  departure  which  the 
existing  text  makes  from  precise  correspondence  with  a 
is  of  little  moment,  and  the  thought  is  sufficiently 
intelligible  as  the  words  stand.  Between  East  and 
West  all  distances  lie.  To  the  eye  they  bound  the 
world.  So  far  does  God's  mercy  bear  away  our  sins. 
Forgiveness  and  cleansing  are  inseparably  united. 

But  the  song  drops — or  shall  we  say  rises  ? — from 
these  magnificent  measures  of  the  immeasurable  to  the 
homely  image  of  a  father's  pity.  We  may  lose  our- 
selves amid  the  amplitudes  of  the  lofty,  wide-stretching 
sky,  but  this  emblem  of  paternal  love  goes  straight  to 
our  hearts.  A  pitying  God  I  What  can  be  added  to 
that  ?  But  that  fatherly  pity  is  decisively  limited 
to  "  them  that  fear  Iljni."     It  is  possible,  then,  to  put 


ciii.]  THE  PSALMS  107 

oneself  outside  the  range  of  that  abundant  dew,  and 
the  universaUty  of  God's  blessings  does  not  hinder  self- 
exclusion  from  them. 

In  vv.  14-16  man's  brief  life  is  brought  in,  not  as  a 
sorrow  or  as  a  cloud  darkening  the  sunny  joy  of  the 
song,  but  as  one  reason  for  the  Divine  compassion. 
"  He,  He  knows  our  frame."  The  word  rendered 
"  frame  "  is  literally  "  formation  "  or  **  fashioning,"  and 
comes  from  the  same  root  as  the  verb  employed  in 
Gen.  ii.  7  to  describe  man's  creation,  "  The  Lord  God 
formed  man  of  the  dust  of  the  ground."  It  is  also  used 
for  the  potter's  action  in  moulding  earthen  vessels 
(Isa.  xxix.  16,  etc.).  So,  in  the  next  clause,  "dust" 
carries  on  the  allusion  to  Genesis,  and  the  general  idea 
conveyed  is  that  of  frailt3^  Made  from  dust  and  fragile 
as  an  earthen  vessel,  man  by  his  weakness  appeals  to 
Jehovah's  compassion.  A  blow,  delivered  with  the  full 
force  of  that  almighty  hand,  would  "  break  him  as  a 
potter's  vessel  is  broken."  Therefore  God  handles  us 
tenderly,  as  mindful  of  the  brittle  material  with  which 
He  has  to  deal.  The  familiar  figure  of  fading  vegeta- 
tion, so  dear  to  the  psalmists,  recurs  here  ;  but  it  is 
touched  with  peculiar  delicacy,  and  there  is  something 
very  sweet  and  uncomplaining  in  the  singer's  tone.  The 
image  of  the  fading  flower,  burned  up  by  the  simoom, 
and  leaving  one  little  spot  in  the  desert  robbed  of  its 
beauty,  veils  much  of  the  terror  of  death,  and  expresses 
no  shrinking,  though  great  pathos.  Ver.  1 6  may  either 
describe  the  withering  of  the  flower,  or  the  passing 
away  of  frail  man.  In  the  former  case,  the  pronouns 
would  be  rendered  by  "it "  and  "its"  ;  in  the  latter,  by 
"  he,"  "  him,"  and  "  his."  The  latter  seems  the  prefer- 
able explanation.  Ver.  i6Z>  is  verbally  the  same  as 
Job  vii.  10.     The  contemplation  of  mortality  tinges  the 


io8  THE  PSALMS 


song  with  a  momentary  sadness,  which  melts  into  the 
pensive,  yet  cheerful,  assurance  that  mortality  has  an 
accompanying  blessing,  in  that  it  makes  a  plea  for  pity 
from  a  Father's  heart. 

But  another,  more  triumphant  thought  springs  up. 
A  devout  soul,  full-charged  with  thankfulness  based  on 
faith  in  God's  name  and  ways,  cannot  but  be  led  by 
remembering  man's  brief  life  to  think  of  God's  eternal 
years.  So,  the  key  changes  at  ver.  17  from  plaintive 
minors  to  jubilant  notes.  The  psalmist  pulls  out  all 
the  stops  of  his  organ,  and  rolls  along  his  music  in  a 
great  crescendo  to  the  close.  The  contrast  of  God's 
eternity  with  man's  transitoriness  is  like  the  similar 
trend  of  thought  in  Psalms  xc,  cii.  The  extension 
of  His  loving-kindness  to  children's  children,  and  its 
limitation  to  those  who  fear  Him  and  keep  His  cove- 
nant in  obedience,  rest  upon  Exod.  xx.  6,  xxxiv.  7  ; 
Deut.  vii.  9.  That  limitation  has  been  laid  down 
twice  already  (vv.  i  i-i  3).  All  men  share  in  that  loving- 
kindness,  and  receive  the  best  gifts  from  it  of  which 
they  are  capable  ;  but  those  who  cling  to  God  in  loving 
reverence,  and  who  are  moved  by  that  blissful  "  fear " 
which  has  no  torment,  to  yield  their  wills  to  Him  in 
inward  submission  and  outward  obedience,  do  enter 
into  the  inner  recesses  of  that  loving-kindness,  and 
are  replenished  with  good,  of  which  others  are 
incapable. 

If  God's  loving-kindness  is  "  from  everlasting  to 
everlasting,"  will  not  His  children  share  in  it  for  as 
long  ?  The  psalm  has  no  articulate  doctrine  of  a 
future  life ;  but  is  there  not  in  that  thought  of  an 
eternal  outgoing  of  God's  heart  to  its  objects  some 
(perhaps  half-conscious)  implication  that  these  will 
continue  to  exist  ?     Ma}'  not  the  psalmist  have  felt  that. 


ciii.]  THE  PSALMS  109 

though  the  flower  of  earthly  hfe  "passed  in  the  passing 
of  an  hour,"  the  root  would  be  somehow  transplanted 
to  the  higher  "  house  of  the  Lord,"  and  "  flourish  in  the 
courts  of  our  God,"  as  long  as  His  everlasting  mercy 
poured  its  sunshine  ?  We,  at  all  events,  know  that 
His  eternity  is  the  pledge  of  ours.  "  Because  I  live, 
ye  shall  live  also." 

From  ver.  19  to  the  end,  the  psalm  takes  a  still  wider 
sweep.  It  now  embraces  the  universe.  But  it  is 
noticeable  that  there  is  no  more  about  "  loving-kindness  " 
in  these  verses.  Man's  sin  and  frailty  make  him  a  fit 
recipient  of  it,  but  we  do  not  know  that  in  all  creation 
another  being,  capable  of  and  needing  it,  is  found. 
Amid  starry  distances,  amid  heights  and  depths,  far 
beyond  sunrise  and  sunset,  God's  all-including  kingdom 
stretches  and  blesses  all.  Therefore,  all  creatures  are 
called  on  to  bless  Him,  since  all  are  blessed  by  Him, 
each  according  to  its  nature  and  need.  If  they  have 
consciousness,  they  owe  Him  praise.  If  they  have  not, 
they  praise  Him  by  being.  The  angels,  "  heroes  of 
strength,"  as  the  words  literally  read,  are  "  His,"  and 
they  not  only  execute  His  behests,  but  stand  attent 
before  Him,  listening  to  catch  the  first  whispered  indica- 
tion of  His  will.  "  His  hosts  "  are  by  some  taken  to 
mean  the  stars ;  but  surely  it  is  more  congruous  to 
suppose  that  beings  who  are  His  "ministers"  and 
perform  His  "will  "  are  intelligent  beings.  Their  praise 
consists  in  hearkening  to  and  doing  His  word.  But 
obedience  is  not  all  their  praise ;  for  they,  too,  bring 
Him  tribute  of  conscious  adoration  in  more  melodious 
music  than  ever  sounded  on  earth.  That  "  choir  in- 
visible "  praises  the  King  of  heaven  ;  but  later  revelation 
has  taught  us  that  men  shall  teach  a  new  song  to 
"  principalities  and  powers  in  heavenly  places,"  because 


THE  PSALMS 


men   only  can  praise    Ilim   whose    loving- kindness    to 
them,  sinful  and  dying,  redeemed  them  by  His  blood. 

Therefore,  it  is  no  drop  from  these  heavenly  anthems, 
when  the  psalm  circles  round  at  last  to  its  beginning, 
and  the  singer  calls  on  his  soul  to  add  its  "  little  human 
praise"  to  the  thunderous  chorus.  The  rest  of  the 
universe  praises  the  mighty  Ruler ;  he  blesses  the 
forgiving,  pitying  Jehovah.  Nature  and  angels,  stars 
and  suns,  seas  and  forests,  magnify  their  Maker  and 
Sustainer  ;  we  can  bless  the  God  who  pardons  iniquities 
and  heals  diseases  which  our  fellow-choristers  never 
knew. 


PSALM   CIV. 

1  My  soul,  bless  Jehovah, 

Jehovah  my  God,  Thou  art  exceeding  great. 

Thou  hast  clothed  Thyself  with  honour  and  majesty ; 

2  Covering  Thyself  v^'ith  light  as  with  a  garment, 
Stretching  out  the  heavens  like  a  curtain. 

3  Who  lays  the  beams  of  His  chambers  in  the  waters, 
Who  makes  clouds  His  chariot, 

Who  walks  on  the  wings  of  the  wind, 

4  Making  winds  His  messengers, 
Flaming  fire  His  servants. 

5  He  sets  fast  the  earth  upon  its  foundations, 
[That]  it  should  not  be  moved  for  ever  and  aye. 

6  I  With]  the  deep  as  [with]  a  garment  Thou  didst  cover  it. 
Above  the  mountains  stood  the  waters. 

7  At  Thy  rebuke  they  lied. 

At  the  voice  of  Thy  thunder  they  were  scared  away. 

8  — Up  rose  the  mountains,  down  sank  the  valleys — 
To  the  place  which  Thou  hadst  founded  for  them. 

9  A  bound  hast  Thou  set  [that]  they  should  not  pass  over, 
Nor  return  to  cover  the  earth. 

10  He  sends  forth  springs  into  the  glens. 
Between  the  hills  they  take  their  way. 

11  They  give  drink  to  every  beast  of  the  field. 
The  wild  asses  slake  their  thirst. 

12  Above  them  dwell  the  birds  of  heaven. 

From  between  the  branches  do  they  give  their  note. 
i_5  He  waters  the  mountains  from  His  chambers. 
With  the  fruit  of  Thy  works  the  earth  is  satisfied. 

14  He  makes  grass  to  spring  for  the  cattle, 
And  the  green  herb  for  the  service  of  men, 
To  bring  forth  bread  from  the  earth, 

15  And  that  wine  may  gladden  the  heart  of  feeble  man  ; 

III 


THE  PSALMS 


To  cause  his  face  to  shine  with  oil, 
And  that  bread  may  sustain  the  heart  of  feeble  man. 
i6  The  trees  of  Jehovah  are  satisfied, 

The  cedars  of  Lebanon  which  He  has  planted, 

17  Wherein  the  birds  nest ; 

The  stork — the  cypresses  are  her  house. 

18  The  high  mountains  are  for  the  wild  goats, 
The  rocks  are  a  refuge  for  the  conies. 

19  He  has  made  the  moon  for  (i.e.,  to  measure)  seasons. 
The  sun  knows  its  going  down. 

20  Thou  appointest  darkness  and  it  is  night. 
Wherein  all  the  beasts  of  the  forest  creep  forth. 

21  The  young  lions  roar  for  their  prey, 
And  to  seek  from  God  their  meat. 

22  The  sun  rises — they  steal  awa}^. 
And  lay  them  down  in  their  dens. 

23  Forth  goes  man  to  his  work 
And  to  his  labour  till  evening. 

24  How  manifold  are  Thy  works,  Jehovah  ! 
In  wisdom  hast  Thou  made  them  all, 
The  earth  is  full  of  Thy  possessions. 

25  Yonder  [is]  the  sea,  great  and  spread  on  either  hand. 
There  are  creeping  things  without  number. 

Living  creatures  small  and  great. 

26  There  the  ships  go  on, 

[There  is]  that  Leviathan  whom  Thou  hast  formed  to  sport  in  it. 

27  All  these  look  to  Thee, 

To  give  their  food  in  its  season. 

28  Thou  givest  to  them — they  gather; 

Thou  openest  Thy  hand — they  arc  filled  [with    good. 

29  Thou  hidest  Thy  face — they  are  panic-struck  ; 
Thou  withdrawest  their  breath — they  expire, 
And  return  to  their  dust. 

30  Thou  sendest   orth  Thy  breath — they  are  created, 
And  Thou  rcnewest  the  face  of  the  earth. 

31  Let  the  glory  of  Jehovah  endure  for  ever. 
Let  Jehovah  rejoice  in  His  works. 

32  Who  looks  on  the  earth  and  it  trembles, 
He  touches  the  mountains  and  they  smoke. 

33  Let  me  sing  to  Jehovah  while  I  live, 

Let  me  harp  to  my  God  while  I  have  being. 


civ.]  THE  PSALMS  113 

34  Be  my  meditation  sweet  to  Him ! 
I,  I  will  rejoice  in  Jehovah. 

35  Be  sinners  consumed  from  the  earth, 
And  the  wicked  be  no  more ! 

Bless  Jehovah,  my  soul ! 

Hallelujah ! 

LIKE  the  preceding  psalm,  this  one  begins  and  ends 
with  the  psalmist's  call  to  his  soul  to  bless  Jehovah. 
The  inference  has  been  drawn  that  both  psalms  have 
the  same  author,  but  that  is  much  too  large  a  con- 
clusion from  such  a  fact.  The  true  lesson  from  it  is 
that  Nature,  when  looked  at  by  an  eye  that  sees  it  to 
be  full  of  God,  yields  material  for  devout  gratitude  no 
less  than  do  His  fatherly  "  mercies  to  them  that  fear 
Him."  The  key-note  of  the  psalm  is  struck  in  ver.  24, 
which  breaks  into  an  exclamation  concerning  the  mani- 
foldness  of  God's  works  and  the  wisdom  that  has  shaped 
them  all.  The  psalm  is  a  gallery  of  vivid  Nature-pictures, 
touched  with  wonderful  grace  and  sureness  of  hand. 
Clearness  of  vision  and  sympathy  with  every  living 
thing  make  the  swift  outlines  inimitably  firm  and  lovely. 
The  poet's  mind  is  like  a  crystal  mirror,  in  which  the 
Cosmos  is  reflected.  He  is  true  to  the  uniform  Old 
Testament  point  of  view,  and  regards  Nature  neither 
from  the  scientific  nor  aesthetic  standpoint.  To  him  it 
is  the  garment  of  God,  the  apocalypse  of  a  present 
Deity,  whose  sustaining  energy  is  but  the  prolongation 
of  His  creative  act.  All  creatures  depend  on  Him  ;  His 
continuous  action  is  their  life.  He  rejoices  in  His  works. 
The  Creation  narrative  in  Genesis  underlies  the  psalm, 
and  is  in  the  main  followed,  though  not  slavishly. 

Ver.  I  would  be  normal  in  structure  if  the  initial 
invocation  were  omitted,  and  as  ver.  35  would  also 
be  complete  without  it,  the  suggestion  that  it  is,  in 
both    verses,   a    liturgical    addition    is    plausible.     The 

VOL.  HI.  8 


114  THE  PSALMS 


verse  sums  up  the  whole  of  the  creative  act  in  one 
grand  thought.  In  that  act  the  invisible  God  has 
arrayed  Himself  in  splendour  and  glory,  making  visible 
these  inherent  attributes.  That  is  the  deepest  meaning 
of  Creation.     The  Universe  is  the  garment  of  God. 

This  general  idea  lays  the  foundation  for  the  follow- 
ing picture  of  the  process  of  creation  which  is  coloured 
by  reminiscences  of  Genesis.  Here,  as  there,  Light  is 
the  first-born  of  Heaven ;  but  the  influence  of  the  pre- 
ceding thought  shapes  the  language,  and  Light  is 
regarded  as  God's  vesture.  The  Uncreated  Light, 
who  is  darkness  to  our  eyes,  arrays  Himself  in  created 
light,  which  reveals  while  it  veils  Him.  Every- 
where diffused,  all-penetrating,  all-gladdening,  it  tells 
of  the  Presence  in  which  all  creatures  live.  This 
clause  is  the  poetic  rendering  of  the  work  of  the 
first  creative  day.  The  next  clause  in  like  manner 
deals  with  that  of  the  second.  The  mighty  arch  of 
heaven  is  lifted  and  expanded  over  earth,  as  easily  as 
a  man  draws  the  cloth  or  skin  sides  and  canopy  of  his 
circular  tent  over  its  framework.  But  our  roof  is  His 
floor ;  and,  according  to  Genesis,  the  firmament  (lit. 
expanse)  separates  the  waters  above  from  those  beneath. 
So  the  psalm  pictures  the  Divine  Architect  as  laying 
the  beams  of  His  upper  chambers  (for  so  the  word 
means)  in  these  waters,  above  the  tent  roof  The  fluid 
is  solid  at  His  will,  and  the  most  mobile  becomes  fixed 
enough  to  be  the  foundation  of  His  royal  abode.  The 
custom  of  having  chambers  on  the  roof,  for  privacy  and 
freshness,  suggests  the  image. 

In  these  introductory  verses  the  poet  is  dealing  with 
the  grander  instances  of  creative  power,  especially  as 
realised  in  the  heavens.  Not  till  ver.  5  does  he  drop 
to  earth.     His  first  theme  is  God's  dominion  over  the 


civ.]  THE  PSALMS  115 

elemental  forces,  and  so  he  goes  on  to  represent  the 
clouds  as  His  chariot,  the  wind  as  bearing  Him  on 
its  swift  pinions,  and,  as  the  parallelism  requires,  the 
winds  as  His  messengers,  and  devouring  fire  as  His 
servants.  The  rendering  of  ver.  4  adopted  in  Hebrews 
from  the  LXX.  is  less  relevant  to  the  psalmist's  purpose 
of  gathering  all  the  forces  which  sweep  through  the 
wide  heavens  into  one  company  of  obedient  servants 
of  God,  than  that  adopted  above,  and  now  generally 
recognised.  It  is  to  be  observed  that  the  verbs  in 
vv.  2-4  are  participles,  which  express  continuous  action. 
These  creative  acts  were  not  done  once  for  all,  but  are 
going  on  still  and  always.  Preservation  is  continued 
creation. 

With  ver.  6  we  pass  to  the  work  of  the  third  of  the 
Genesis  da3's,  and  the  verb  is  in  the  form  which 
describes  a  historical  fact.  The  earth  is  conceived  of 
as  formed,  and  already  moulded  into  mountains  and 
valleys,  but  all  covered  with  "  the  deep  "  like  a  vesture 
— a  sadly  different  one  from  the  robe  of  Light  which 
I  le  wears.  That  weltering  deep  is  bidden  back  to  its 
future  appointed  bounds ;  and  the  process  is  grandly 
described,  as  if  the  waters  were  sentient,  and,  panic- 
struck  at  God's  voice,  took  to  flight.  Ver.  8  a  throws 
in  a  vivid  touch,  to  the  disturbance  of  grammatical 
smoothness.  The  poet  has  the  scene  before  his  eye, 
and  as  the  waters  flee  he  sees  the  earth  emerging,  the 
mountains  soaring,  and  the  vales  sinking,  and  he  breaks 
his  sentence,  as  if  in  wonder  at  the  lovely  apparition, 
but  returns,  in  ver.  8  Z»,  to  tell  whither  the  fugitive 
waters  fled — namely,  to  the  ocean-depths.  There  they 
are  hemmed  in  by  God's  will,  and,  as  was  promised  to 
Noah,  shall  not  again  run  wasting  over  a  drowned 
world. 


ii6  THE  PSALMS 


The  picture  of  the  emerging  earth,  with  its  variations 
of  valleys  and  mountains,  remains  before  the  psalmist's 
eye  throughout  vv.  10-18,  which  describe  how  it  is 
clothed  and  peopled.  These  effects  are  due  to  the 
beneficent  ministry  of  the  same  element,  when  guided 
and  restrained  by  God,  which  swathed  the  world  with 
desolation.  Water  runs  through  the  vales,  and  rain 
falls  on  the  mountains.  Therefore  the  former  bear 
herbs  and  corn,  vines  and  olives,  and  the  latter  are 
clothed  with  trees  not  planted  by  human  hand,  the 
mighty  cedars  which  spread  their  broad  shelves  of 
steadfast  green  high  up  among  the  clouds.  "  Everything 
lives  whithersoever  water  cometh,"  as  Easterns  know. 
Therefore  round  the  drinking-places  in  the  vales  thirsty 
creatures  gather,  birds  flit  and  sing  ;  up  among  the 
cedars  are  peaceful  nests,  and  inaccessible  cliffs  have 
their  sure-footed  inhabitants.  All  depend  on  water, 
and  water  is  God's  gift.  The  psalmist's  view  of  Nature 
is  characteristic  in  the  direct  ascription  of  all  its 
processes  to  God.  He  makes  the  springs  flow,  and 
sends  rain  on  the  peaks.  Equally  characteristic  is  the 
absence  of  any  expression  of  a  sense  of  beauty  in  the 
sparkling  streams  tinkling  down  the  gloomy  wadies, 
or  in  the  rain-storms  darkening  the  hills,  or  in  the 
green  mantle  of  earth,  or  in  the  bright  creatures.  The 
psalmist  is  thinking  of  use,  not  of  beauty.  And  yet  it 
is  a  poet's  clear  and  kindly  eye  which  looks  upon  all, 
and  sees  the  central  characteristic  of  each, — the  eager 
drinking  of  the  wild  ass  ;  the  music  of  the  birds  blending 
with  the  brawling  of  the  stream,  and  sweeter  because 
the  singers  are  hidden  among  the  branches  ;  the  freshly 
watered  earth,  "satisfied"  with  "the  fruit  of  Thy 
works"  (/>.,  the  rain  which  God  has  sent  from  His 
"  upper  chambers  "),  the  manifold  gifts  which  by  His 


civ.]  THE   PSALMS  117 

wondrous  alchemy  are  produced  from  the  ground  by 
help  of  one  agency,  water  ;  the  forest  trees  with  their 
foliage  glistening,  as  if  glad  for  the  rain  ;  the  stork  on 
her  nest;  the  goats  on  the  mountains;  the  "conies" 
(for  which  we  have  no  popular  name)  hurrying  to 
their  holes  in  the  cliffs.  Man  appears  as  depending, 
like  the  lower  creatures,  on  the  fruit  of  the  ground ; 
but  he  has  more  varied  supplies,  bread  and  wine  and 
oil,  and  these  not  only  satisfy  material  wants,  but 
"  gladden  "  and  "  strengthen  "  the  heart.  According 
to  some,  the  word  rendered  "service"  in  ver.  14  means 
"  tillage,"  a  meaning  which  is  supported  by  ver.  23, 
where  the  same  word  is  rendered  "  labour,"  and  which 
fits  in  well  with  the  next  clause  of  ver.  14,  "to  bring 
forth  bread  from  the  earth,"  which  would  describe  the 
purpose  of  the  tillage.  His  prerogative  of  labour  is 
man's  special  differentia  in  creation.  It  is  a  token  of  his 
superiority  to  the  happy,  careless  creatures  who  toil 
not  nor  spin.  Earth  docs  not  yield  him  its  best 
products  without  his  co-operation.  There  would  thus 
be  an  allusion  to  him  as  the  only  worker  in  creation, 
similar  to  that  in  ver.  23,  and  to  the  reference  to  the 
"  ships "  in  ver.  26.  But  probably  the  meaning  of 
"  service,"  which  is  suggested  by  the  parallelism,  and 
does  not  introduce  the  new  thought  of  co-operation 
with  Nature  or  God,  is  to  be  preferred.  The  con- 
struction is  somewhat  difficult,  but  the  rendering  of 
vv.  14,  15,  given  above  seems  best.  The  two  clauses 
with  infinitive  verbs  {to  bring  forth  and  to  cause  to 
shine)  are  each  followed  by  a  clause  in  which  the 
construction  is  varied  into  that  with  a  finite  verb,  the 
meaning  remaining  the  same  ;  and  all  four  clauses 
express  the  Divine  purpose  in  causing  vegetation  to 
spring.     Then  the  psalmist  looks  up  once  more  to  the 


u8  THE  PSALMS 


hills.  **  The  trees  of  Jehovah  "  are  so  called,  not  so 
much  because  they  are  great,  as  because,  unlike  vines 
and  olives,  they  have  not  been  planted  or  tended  by 
man,  nor  belong  to  him.  Far  above  the  valleys,  where 
men  and  the  cattle  dependent  on  him  live  on  earth's 
cultivated  bounties,  the  unowned  woods  stand  and 
drink  God's  gift  of  rain,  while  wild  creatures  lead  free 
lives  amid  mountains  and  rocks. 

With  ver.  19  the  psalmist  passes  to  the  fourth  day, 
but  thinks  of  moon  and  sun  only  in  relation  to  the 
alternation  of  day  and  night  as  affecting  creatural  life 
on  earth.  The  moon  is  named  first,  because  the 
Hebrew  day  began  with  the  evening.  It  is  the 
measurer^  by  whose  phases  seasons  (or,  according  to 
some,  festivals)  are  reckoned.  The  sun  is  a  punctual 
servant,  knowing  the  hour  to  set  and  duly  keeping  it. 
"  Thou  appointest  darkness  and  it  is  night."  God 
wills,  and  His  will  effects  material  changes.  He  says 
to  His  servant  Night,  "Come,"  and  she  "comes." 
The  psalmist  had  peopled  the  vales  and  mountains  of 
his  picture.  Everywhere  he  had  seen  life  fitted  to  its 
environment ;  and  night  is  populous  too.  He  had  out- 
lined swift  sketches  of  tame  and  wild  creatures,  and 
now  he  half  shows  us  beasts  of  prey  stealing  through 
the  gloom.  He  puts  his  finger  on  two  characteristics — 
their  stealthy  motions,  and  their  cries  which  made  night 
hideous.  Even  their  roar  was  a  kind  of  prayer,  though 
they  knew  it  not ;  it  was  God  from  whom  they  sought 
their  food.  It  would  not  have  answered  the  purpose 
to  have  spoken  of  "  all  the  loves.  Now  sleeping  in  those 
quiet  groves."  The  poet  desired  to  show  how  there 
were  creatures  that  found  possibilities  of  happy  life  in 
all  the  variety  of  conditions  fashioned  by  the  creative 
Hand,  which  was  thus  shown  to  be  moved  by  Wisdom 


civ.]  THE  PSALMS  119 

and  Love.  The  sunrise  sends  these  nocturnal  animals 
back  to  their  dens,  and  the  world  is  ready  for  man. 
"The  sun  looked  over  the  mountain's  rim,"  and  the 
beasts  of  prey  slunk  to  their  lairs,  and  man's  day  of 
toil  began — the  mark  of  his  pre-eminence,  God's  gift 
for  his  good,  by  which  he  uses  creation  for  its  highest 
end  and  fulfils  God's  purpose.  Grateful  is  the  evening 
rest  when  the  day  has  been  filled  with  strenuous  toil. 

The  picture  of  earth  and  its  inhabitants  is  now 
complete,  and  the  dominant  thought  which  it  leaves 
on  the  psalmist's  heart  is  cast  into  the  exultant  and 
wondering  exclamation  of  ver.  24.  The  variety  as 
well  as  multitude  of  the  forms  in  which  God's  creative 
idea  is  embodied,  the  Wisdom  which  shapes  all.  His 
ownership  of  all,  are  the  impressions  made  by  the 
devout  contemplation  of  Nature.  The  scientist  and 
the  artist  are  left  free  to  pursue  their  respective  lines 
of  investigation  and  impression  ;  but  scientist  and  artist 
must  rise  to  the  psalmist's  point  of  view,  if  they  are  to 
learn  the  deepest  lesson  from  the  ordered  kingdoms  of 
Nature  and  from  the  beauty  which  floods  the  world. 

With  the  exclamation  in  ver.  24  the  psalmist  has 
finished  his  picture  of  the  earth,  which  he  had  seen  as 
if  emerging  from  the  abyss,  and  watched  as  it  was 
gradually  clothed  with  fertility  and  peopled  with  happy 
life.  He  turns,  in  vv.  25,  26,  to  the  other  half  of  his 
Vision  of  Creation,  and  portrays  the  gathered  and 
curbed  waters  which  he  now  calls  the  "  sea."  As 
always  in  Scripture,  it  is  described  as  it  looks  to  a 
landsman,  gazing  out  on  it  from  the  safe  shore.  The 
characteristics  specified  betray  unfamiliarity  with  mari- 
time pursuits.  The  far-stretching  roll  of  the  waters 
away  out  to  the  horizon,  the  mystery  veiling  the  strange 
lives  swarming  in  its  depths,  the  extreme  contrasts  in 


THE  PSALMS 


the  magnitude  of  its  inhabitants,  strike  the  poet.  He 
sees  "  the  stately  ships  go  on."  The  introduction 
of  these  into  the  picture  is  unexpected.  We  should 
have  looked  for  an  instance  of  the  "  small  "  creatures, 
to  pair  off  with  the  "  great "  one.  Leviathan,  in  the 
next  words.  "  A  modern  poet,"  says  Cheyne,  in  loc, 
"  would  have  joined  the  mighty  whale  to  the  fairy 
nautilus."  It  has  been  suggested  that  "  ship "  here 
is  a  name  for  the  nautilus,  which  is  common  in  the 
Eastern  Mediterranean.  The  suggestion  is  a  tempting 
one,  as  fitting  in  more  smoothly  with  the  antithesis  of 
small  and  great  in  the  previous  clause.  But,  in  the 
absence  of  any  proof  that  the  word  has  any  other 
meaning  than  "  ship,"  the  suggestion  cannot  be  taken 
as  more  than  a  probable  conjecture.  The  introduction 
of  "  ships  "  into  the  picture  is  quite  in  harmony  with 
the  allusions  to  man's  works  in  the  former  parts  of  the 
psalm,  such  as  ver.  23,  and  possibly  ver.  14.  The 
psalmist  seems  to  intend  to  insert  such  reference  to 
man,  the  only  toiler,  in  all  his  pictures.  "Leviathan" 
is  probably  here  the  whale.  Ewald,  Hitzig,  Baethgen, 
Kay,  and  Cheyne  follow  the  LXX.  and  Vulgate  in 
reading  "  Leviathan  whom  Thou  hast  formed  to  sport 
with  him,"  and  take  the  words  to  refer  to  Job  xli.  5. 
The  thought  would  then  be  that  God's  power  can 
control  the  mightiest  creatures'  plunges;  but  "the  two 
preceding  '  there  '  s  are  in  favour  of  the  usual  interpre- 
tation, '  therein  '  "  (Hupfeld),  and  consequently  of  taking 
the  "  sporting  "  to  be  that  of  the  unwieldy  gambols  of 
the  sea-monster. 

Verses  27-30  mass  all  creatures  of  earth  and  sea, 
including  man,  as  alike  dependent  on  God  for  suste- 
nance and  for  life.  Dumbly  these  look  expectant  to 
Him,  though  man   only  knows  to  whom  all  living  eyes 


civ.]  THE   PSALMS 


are  directed.  The  swift  clauses  in  \y.  28-30,  without 
connecting  particles,  vividly  represent  the  Divine  acts 
as  immediately  followed  by  the  creatural  consequences. 
To  this  psalmist  the  links  in  the  chain  were  of  little 
consequence.  His  thoughts  were  fixed  on  its  two 
ends — the  Hand  that  sent  its  power  thrilling  through 
the  links,  and  the  result  realised  in  the  creature's  life. 
All  natural  phenomena  are  issues  of  God's  present 
will.  Preservation  is  as  much  His  act,  as  inexplicable 
without  Him,  as  creation.  There  would  be  nothing  to 
"gather"  unless  He  "gave."  All  sorts  of  supplies, 
which  make  the  "  good  "  of  physical  life,  are  in  His 
hand,  whether  they  be  the  food  of  the  wild  asses  by 
the  streams,  or  of  the  conies  among  the  cliffs,  or  of 
the  young  lions  in  the  night,  or  of  Leviathan  tumbling 
amidst  the  waves,  or  of  toiling  man.  Nor  is  it  only 
the  nourishment  of  life  which  comes  straight  from  God 
to  all,  but  life  itself  depends  on  His  continual  in- 
breathing. His  face  is  creation's  light;  breath  fron: 
Him  is  its  life.  The  withdrawal  of  it  is  death.  Every 
change  in  creatural  condition  is  wrought  by  Him.  He 
is  the  only  Fountain  of  Life,  and  the  reservoir  of  all 
the  forces  that  minister  to  life  or  to  inanimate  being. 
But  the  psalmist  will  not  end  his  contemplations  with 
the  thought  of  the  fair  creation  returning  to  nothingness. 
Therefore  he  adds  another  verse  (30)  ;  which  tells  of 
"  life  re-orient  out  of  dust,"  Individuals  pass  ;  the  type 
remains.  New  generations  spring.  The  yearly  miracle 
of  Spring  brings  greenness  over  the  snow-covered  or 
brown  pastures  and  green  shoots  from  stiffened  boughs. 
Many  of  last  year's  birds  are  dead,  but  there  are  nests 
in  the  cypresses,  and  twitterings  among  the  branches 
in  the  wadies.  Life,  not  death,  prevails  in  God's 
world. 


THE  PSALMS 


So  the  psalmist  gathers  all  up  into  a  burst  of  praise. 
He  desires  that  the  glory  of  God,  which  accrues  to  Him 
from  His  works,  may  ever  be  rendered  through  devout 
recognition  of  Him  as  working  them  all  by  man,  the 
only  creature  who  can  be  the  spokesman  of  creation. 
He  further  desires  that,  as  God  at  first  saw  that  all 
was  "  very  good,"  He  may  ever  continue  thus  to  rejoice 
in  His  works,  or,  in  other  words,  that  these  may  fulfil 
His  purpose.  Possibly  His  rejoicing  in  His  works  is 
regarded  as  following  upon  man's  giving  glory  to  Him 
for  them.  That  rejoicing,  which  is  the  manifestation 
both  of  His  love  and  of  His  satisfaction,  is  all  the  more 
desired,  because,  if  His  works  do  not  please  Him,  there 
lies  in  Him  a  dread  abyss  of  destructive  power,  which 
could  sweep  them  into  nothingness.  Superficial  readers 
may  feel  that  the  tone  of  ver.  32  strikes  a  discord, 
but  it  is  a  discord  which  can  be  resolved  into  deeper 
harmony.  One  frown  from  God,  and  the  solid  earth 
trembles,  as  conscious  to  its  depths  of  His  displeasure. 
One  touch  of  the  hand  that  is  filled  with  good,  and  the 
mountains  smoke.  Creation  perishes  if  He  is  dis- 
pleased. Well  then  may  the  psalmist  pray  that  He 
may  for  ever  rejoice  in  His  works,  and  make  them  live 
by  His  smile. 

Very  beautifully  and  profoundly  does  the  psalmist 
ask,  in  vv.  33,  34,  that  some  echo  of  the  Divine  joy 
may  gladden  his  own  heart,  and  that  his  praise  may 
be  coeval  with  God's  glory  and  his  own  life.  This  is 
the  Divine  purpose  in  creation — that  God  may  rejoice 
in  it  and  chiefly  in  man  its  crown,  and  that  man  may 
rejoice  in  Him.  Such  sweet  commerce  is  possible 
between  heaven  and  earth  ;  and  they  have  leaincd  the 
lesson  of  creative  power  and  love  aright  who  by  it 
have  been  led  to  share  in  the  joy  of  God.     The  psalm 


civ.]  THE  PSALMS  123 

has  been  shaped  in  part  by  reminiscences  of  the 
creative  days  of  creation.  It  ends  with  the  Divine 
Sabbath,  and  with  the  prayer,  which  is  also  a  hope, 
that  man  may  enter  into  God's  rest. 

But  there  is  one  discordant  note  in  creation's  full- 
toned  hymn,  "  the  fair  music  that  all  creatures  made." 
There  are  sinners  on  earth ;  and  the  last  prayer  of  the 
psalmist  is  that  that  blot  may  be  removed,  and  so 
nothing  may  mar  the  realisation  of  God's  ideal,  nor 
be  left  to  lessen  the  completeness  of  His  delight  in 
His  work.  And  so  the  psalm  ends,  as  it  began,  with 
the  singer's  call  to  his  own  soul  to  bless  Jehovah. 

This  is  the  first  psalm  which  closes  with  Hallelujah 
(Praise  Jehovah).  It  is  appended  to  the  two  following 
psalms,  which  close  Book  IV.,  and  is  again  found  in 
Book  v.,  in  Psalms  cxi.-cxiii.,  cxv.-cxvii.,  and  in  the 
final  group,  Psalms  cxlvi.-cl.  It  is  probably  a  liturgical 
addition. 


PSALM    CV. 

1  Give  thanks  to  Jehovah,  call  on  His  name, 
Make  known  among  the  peoples  His  deeds. 

2  Sing  to  Him,  harp  to  Him, 

Speak  musingly  of  all  His  wonders. 

3  Glory  in  His  holy  name, 

Glad  be  the  heart  of  them  that  seek  Jehovah  ! 

4  Inquire  after  Jehovah  and  His  strength. 
Seek  His  face  continually. 

5  Remember  His  wonders  which  He  has  done. 
His  marvels  and  the  judgments  of  His  mouth. 

6  O  seed  of  Abraham  His  servant, 
Sons  of  Jacob,  His  chosen  ones. 

7  He,  Jehovah,  is  our  God, 

In  all  the  earth  are  His  judgments. 

8  He  remembers  His  covenant  for  ever. 

The  word  which  He  commanded  for  a  thousand  generations; 

9  Which  He  made  with  Abraham, 
And  His  oath  to  Isaac. 

10  And  He  established  it  with  Jacob  for  a  statute, 
To  Israel  for  an  everlasting  covenant, 

11  Saying,  "  To  thee  will  I  give  the  land  of  Canaan, 
[As]  your  measured  allotment ; "' 

12  Whilst  they  were  easily  counted. 
Very  few,  and  but  sojourners  therein  ; 

13  And  they  went  about  from  nation  to  nation. 
From  [one]  kingdom  to  another  people. 

14  He  suffered  no  man  to  oppress  them, 
And  reproved  kings  for  their  sakes  ; 

15  [Saying],  "Touch  not  Mine  anointed  ones, 
And  to  My  prophets  do  no  harm.'' 

16  And  He  called  for  a  famine  on  the  land, 
Every  staff  of  bread  He  broke. 

17  He  sent  before  them  a  man, 
For  a  slave  was  Joseph  sold. 

124 


cv.]  THE  PSALMS  125 


18  They  afilicted  his  feet  with  the  fetter, 
He  was  put  in  irons. 

19  Till  the  time  [when]  his  word  came  [to  pass], 
The  promise  of  Jehovah  tested  him. 

20  The  king  sent  and  loosed  him, 

The  ruler  of  peoples,  and  let  him  go. 

21  He  made  him  lord  over  his  house, 
And  ruler  over  all  his  substance  ; 

22  To  bind  princes  at  his  pleasure, 
And  to  make  his  ciders  wise. 

23  So  Israel  came  to  Eg3'pt, 

And  Jacob  sojourned  in  the  land  of  Ham. 

24  And  He  made  His  people  fruitful  exceedingly", 
And  made  them  stronger  than  their  foes. 

25  He  turned  their  heart  to  hate  His  people, 
To  deal  craftily  with  His  servants. 

26  He  sent  Moses  His  servant, 
[And]  Aaron  whom  He  had  chosen. 

27  They  set  [forth]  among  them  His  signs, 
And  wonders  in  the  land  of  Ham. 

28  He  sent  darkness,  and  made  it  dark. 
And  they  rebelled  not  against  His  words. 

29  He  turned  their  waters  to  blood. 
And  slew  their  fish. 

30  Their  land  swarmed  [with]  frogs. 
In  the  chambers  of  their  kings. 

31  He  spake  and  the  gad-fly  came, 
Gnats  in  all  their  borders. 

32  He  gave  hail  [for]  their  rains, 
Flaming  fire  in  their  land. 

33  And  He  smote  their  vine  and  their  fig-tree, 
And  broke  the  trees  of  their  borders. 

34  "He  spoke  and  the  locust  came. 

And  caterpillar-locusts  without  number, 

35  And  ate  up  every  herb  in  their  land. 
And  ate  up  the  fruit  of  their  ground. 

36  And  He  smote  every  first-born  in  their  land, 
The  firstlings  of  all  their  strength. 

37  And  He  brought  them  out  with  silver  and  gold. 

And  there  was  not  one  among  His  tribes  who  stumbled. 

38  Glad  was  Egypt  at  their  departure, 

For  the  fear  of  them  had  fallen  upon  them. 


126  THE  PSALMS 


39  He  spread  a  cloud  for  a  covering, 
And  fire  to  light  the  night. 

40  They  asked  and  He  brought  quails, 

And  [with]  bread  from  heaven  He  satisfied  them. 

41  He  opened  the  rock  and  forth  gushed  waters, 
They  flowed  through  the  deserts,  a  river. 

42  For  He  remembered  His  holy  word, 
[And]  Abraham  His  servant ; 

43  And  He  brought  out  His  people  [with]  joy. 
With  glad  cries  His  chosen  [ones]  ; 

44  And  He  gave  them  the  lands  of  the  nations, 

And  they  took  possession  of  the  toil  of  the  peoples, 

45  To  the  end  that  they  might  observe  His  statutes, 
And  keep  His  laws. 

Hallelujah  ! 

IT  is  a  reasonable  conjecture  that  the  Hallehijah  at 
the  end  of  Psahn  civ.,  where  it  is  superfluous, 
properly  belongs  to  this  psahn,  which  would  then  be 
assimilated  to  Psalm  cvi.,  which  is  obviously  a  com- 
panion psalm.  Both  are  retrospective  and  didactic ; 
but  Psalm  cv.  deals  entirely  with  God's  unfailing  faith- 
fulness to  Israel,  while  Psalm  cvi.  sets  forth  the  sad 
contrast  presented  by  Israel's  continual  faithlessness  to 
God.  Each  theme  is  made  more  impressive  by  being 
pursued  separately,  and  then  set  over  against  the  other. 
The  long  series  of  God's  mercies  massed  together  here 
confronts  the  dark  uniformity  of  Israel's  unworthy  re- 
quital of  them  there.  Half  of  the  sky  is  pure  blue 
and  radiant  sunshine ;  half  is  piled  with  unbroken 
clouds.  Nothing  drives  home  the  consciousness  of 
sin  so  surely  as  contemplation  of  God's  loving  acts. 
Probably  this  psalm,  like  others  of  similar  contents,  is 
of  late  date.  The  habit  of  historical  retrospect  for 
religious  purposes  is  likely  to  belong  to  times  remote 
from  the  events  recorded.  Vv.  1-15  are  found  in 
I  Chron.  xvi.  as  part  of  the  hymn   at  David's  setting 


cv.]  THE  PSALMS  127 

up  of  the  Ark  on  Zion.  But  that  hymn  is  unmistakably 
a  compilation  from  extant  psalms,  and  cannot  be  taken 
as  deciding  the  Davidic  authorship  of  the  psalm. 

Vv.  1-6  are  a  ringing  summons  to  extol  and  con- 
template God's  great  deeds  for  Israel.  They  are  full 
of  exultation,  and,  in  their  reiterated  short  clauses,  are 
like  the  joyful  cries  of  a  herald  bringing  good  tidings 
to  Zion.  There  is  a  beautiful  progress  of  thought  in 
these  verses.  They  begin  with  the  call  to  thank  and 
praise  Jehovah  and  to  proclaim  His  doings  among  the 
people.  That  recognition  of  Israel's  office  as  the  world's 
evangelist  does  not  require  the  supposition  that  the 
nation  was  dispersed  in  captivity,  but  simply  shows 
that  the  singer  understood  the  reason  for  the  long 
series  of  mercies  heaped  on  it.  It  is  significant  that 
God's  "  deeds  "  are  Israel's  message  to  the  world.  By 
such  deeds  His  "  name  "  is  spoken.  What  God  has 
done  is  the  best  revelation  of  what  God  is.  His 
messengers  are  not  to  speak  their  own  thoughts  about 
Him,  but  to  tell  the  story  of  His  acts  and  let  these 
speak  for  Him.  Revelation  is  not  a  set  of  propositions, 
but  a  history  of  Divine  facts.  The  foundation  of  audible 
praise  and  proclamation  is  contemplation.  Therefore 
the  exhortation  in  ver.  2  b  follows,  which  means  not 
merely  **  speak,"  but  may  be  translated,  as  in  margin  of 
the  Revised  Version,  "  meditate,"  and  is  probably  best 
rendered  so  as  to  combine  both  ideas,  "  musingly 
speak."  Let  not  the  words  be  mere  words,  but  feel 
the  great  deeds  which  you  proclaim.  In  like  manner, 
ver.  3  calls  upon  the  heralds  to  "  glory  "  for  themselves 
in  the  name  of  Jehovah,  and  to  make  efforts  to  possess 
Him  more  fully  and  to  rejoice  in  finding  Him.  Aspira- 
tion after  clearer  and  closer  knowledge  and  experience 
of  God  should  ever  underlie  glad  pealing  forth  of  His 


128  THE  PSALMS 


name.  If  it  does  not,  eloquent  tongues  will  fall  silent, 
and  Israel's  proclamation  will  be  cold  and  powerless. 
To  seek  Jehovah  is  to  find  His  strength  investing  our 
feebleness.  To  turn  our  faces  towards  His  in  devout 
desire  is  to  have  our  faces  made  bright  by  reflected  light. 
And  one  chief  way  of  seeking  Jehovah  is  the  remem- 
brance of  His  merciful  wonders  of  old,  "  He  hath  made 
His  wonderful  works  to  be  remembered  "  (Psalm  cxi.  4), 
and  His  design  in  them  is  that  men  should  have  solid 
basis  for  their  hopes,  and  be  thereby  encouraged  to 
seek  Him,  as  well  as  be  taught  what  He  is.  Thus  the 
psalmist  reaches  his  main  theme,  which  is  to  build  a 
memorial  of  these  deeds  for  an  everlasting  possession. 
The  "  wonders  "  referred  to  in  ver.  5  are  chiefl}'  those 
wrought  in  Egypt,  as  the  subsequent  verses  show. 

Ver.  6  contains,  in  the  names  given  to  Israel,  the 
reason  for  their  obeying  the  preceding  summonses. 
Their  hereditary  relation  to  God  gives  them  the  material, 
and  imposes  on  them  the  obligation  and  the  honour, 
of  being  "  secretaries  of  God's  praise."  In  ver.  6  a 
"  His  servant  "  may  be  intended  to  designate  the 
nation,  as  it  often  does  in  Isa.  xl.-lxvi.  "  His  chosen 
ones  "  in  ver.  6  b  would  then  be  an  exact  parallel  ;  but 
the  recurrence  of  the  expression  in  ver.  42,  with  the 
individual  reference,  makes  that  reference  more  probable 
here. 

The  fundamental  fact  underlying  all  Israel's  experi- 
ence of  God's  care  is  His  own  loving  will,  which,  self- 
moved,  entered  into  covenant  obligations,  so  that  there- 
after His  mercies  are  ensured  by  His  veracity,  no  less 
than  by  His  kindness.  Hence  the  psalm  begins  its 
proper  theme  by  hymning  the  faithfulness  of  God  to 
His  oath,  and  painting  the  insignificance  of  the  begin- 
nings of  the  nation,  as   showing   that   the    ground  of 


cv.]  THE  PSALMS  129 

God's  covenant  relation  was  laid  in  Himself,  not  in 
them.  Israel's  consciousness  of  holding  a  special  re- 
lation to  God  never  obscured,  in  the  minds  of 
psalmists  and  prophets,  the  twin  truth  that  all  the 
earth  waited  on  Him,  and  was  the  theatre  of  His  mani- 
festations. Baser  souls  might  hug  themselves  on  their 
prerogative.  The  nobler  spirits  ever  confessed  that 
it  laid  on  them  duties  to  the  world,  and  that  God  had 
not  left  Himself  without  witness  in  any  land.  These 
two  truths  have  often  been  rent  asunder,  both  in  Israel 
and  in  Christendom,  but  each  needs  the  other  for  its 
full  comprehension.  "  Jehovah  is  our  God  "  may  become 
the  war-cry  of  bitter  hostility  to  them  that  are  without, 
or  of  contempt,  which  is  quite  as  irreligious.  "  In  all 
the  earth  are  His  judgments"  may  lead  to  a  vague 
theism,  incredulous  of  special  revelation.  He  who  is 
most  truly  penetrated  with  the  first  will  be  most  joyfully 
read}^  to  proclaim  the  second  of  these  sister-thoughts, 
and  will  neither  shut  up  all  God's  mercies  within  the 
circle  of  revelation,  nor  lose  sight  of  His  clearest 
utterances  while  looking  on  His  more  diffused  and  less 
perfect  ones. 

The  obligations  under  which  God  has  come  to  Israel 
are  represented  as  a  covenant,  a  word  and  an  oath. 
In  all  the  general  idea  of  explicit  declaration  of  Divine 
purpose,  which  henceforth  becomes  binding  on  God 
by  reason  of  His  faithfulness,  is  contained ;  but  the 
conception  of  a  covenant  implies  mutual  obligations, 
failure  to  discharge  which  on  one  side  relieves  the 
other  contracting  party  from  his  promise,  while  that 
of  a  ivord  simply  includes  the  notion  of  articulate  utter- 
ance, and  that  of  an  oath  adds  the  thought  of  a  solemn 
sanction  and  a  pledge  given.  God  swears  by  Himself 
— that  is.  His  own  character  is  the  guarantee  of  His 

VOL.  III.  9 


THE  PSALMS 


promise.  These  various  designations  are  thus  heaped 
together,  in  order  to  heighten  the  thought  of  the  firm- 
ness of  His  promise.  It  stands  "  for  ever,"  "  to  a 
thousand  generations";  it  is  an  "everlasting  covenant." 
The  psalmist  triumphs,  as  it  were,  in  the  manifold 
repetition  of  it.  Each  of  the  fathers  of  the  nation  had 
it  confirmed  to  himself, — Abraham ;  Isaac  when,  ready 
to  flee  from  the  land  in  famine,  he  had  renewed  to  him 
(Gen.  xxvi.  3)  the  oath  which  he  had  first  heard  as 
he  stood,  trembling  but  unharmed,  by  the  rude  altar 
where  the  ram  lay  in  his  stead  (Gen.  xxii.  16);  Jacob 
as  he  lay  beneath  the  stars  at  Bethel.  With  Jacob 
(Israel)  the  singer  passes  from  the  individuals  to  the 
nation,  as  is  shown  by  the  alternation  of  "  thee  "  and 
"  you  "  in  ver.  11. 

The  lowly  condition  of  the  recipients  of  the  promise 
not  only  exalts  the  love  which  chose  them,  but  the 
power  which  preserved  them  and  fulfilled  it.  And  if, 
as  may  be  the  case,  the  psalm  is  exilic  or  post-exilic, 
its  picture  of  ancient  days  is  like  a  mirror,  reflecting 
present  depression  and  bidding  the  downcast  be  of 
good  cheer.  He  who  made  a  strong  nation  out  of  that 
little  horde  of  wanderers  must  have  been  moved  by  His 
own  heart,  not  by  anything  in  them  ;  and  what  He  did 
long  ago  He  can  do  to-day.  God's  past  is  the  prophecy 
of  God's  future.  Literally  rendered,  ver.  1 2  a  runs 
"  Whilst  they  were  men  of  number,"  />.,  easily  numbered 
(Gen.  xxxiv.  30,  where  Jacob  uses  the  same  phrase). 
"  Very  few  "  in  b  is  literally  *'  like  a  little,"  and  may 
either  apply  to  number  or  to  worth.  It  is  used  in  the 
latter  sense,  in  reference  to  "  the  heart  of  the  wicked," 
in  Prov.  x.  20,  and  may  have  the  same  meaning  here. 
That  little  band  of  wanderers,  who  went  about  as 
sojourners  among  the  kinglets  of  Canaan  and  Fhilistia, 


cv.]  THE  PSALMS  131 

with  occasional  visits  to  Egypt,  seemed  very  vulnerable  ; 
but  God  was,  as  He  had  promised  to  the  first  of  them 
at  a  moment  of  extreme  peril,  their  "  shield,"  and  in 
their  lives  there  were  instances  of  strange  protection 
afforded  them,  which  curbed  kings,  as  in  the  case  of 
Abram  in  Egypt  (Gen.  xii.)  and  Gerar  (Gen.  xx.),  and 
of  Isaac  in  the  latter  place  (Gen.  xxvi.).  The  patriarchs 
were  not,  technically  speaking,  "  anointed,"  but  they  had 
that  of  which  anointing  was  but  a  symbol.  They  were 
Divinely  set  apart  and  endowed  for  their  tasks,  and,  as 
consecrated  to  God's  service,  their  persons  were  invio- 
lable. In  a  very  profound  sense  all  God's  servants  are 
thus  anointed,  and  are  "  immortal  till  their  work  is 
done."  "  Prophets "  in  the  narrower  sense  of  the 
word  the  patriarchs  were  not,  but  Abraham  is  called 
so  by  God  in  one  of  the  places  already  referred  to 
(Gen.  XX.  7).  Prior  to  prophetic  utterance  is  prophetic 
inspiration  ;  and  these  men  received  Divine  communi- 
cations, and  were,  in  a  special  degree,  possessed  of  the 
counsels  of  Heaven.  The  designation  is  equivalent  to 
Abraham's  name  of  the  "friend  of  God."  Thus  both 
titles,  which  guaranteed  a  charmed,  invulnerable  life  to 
their  bearers,  go  deep  into  the  permanent  privileges  of 
God-trusting  souls.  All  such  "  have  an  anointing  from 
the  Holy  One,"  and  receive  whispers  from  His  lips. 
They  are  all  under  the  aegis  of  His  protection,  and  for 
their  sakes  kings  of  many  a  dynasty  and  age  have  been 
rebuked. 

In  vv.  16-22  the  history  of  Joseph  is  poetically  and 
summarily  treated,  as  a  link  in  the  chain  of  providences 
which  brought  about  the  fulfilment  of  the  Covenant. 
Possibly  the  singer  is  thinking  about  a  captive  Israel 
in  the  present,  while  speaking  about  a  captive  Joseph 
in  the  past.     In  God's  dealings  humiliation  and  afflic- 


THE  PSALMS 


tion  are  often,  he  thinks,  the  precursors  of  glory  and 
triumph.  Calamities  prepare  the  way  for  prosperity. 
So  it  was  in  that  old  time  ;  and  so  it  is  still.  In  this 
resume  of  the  history  of  Joseph,  the  points  signalised 
are  God's  direct  agency  in  the  whole — the  errand  on 
which  Joseph  was  sent  ("  before  them  ")  as  a  forerunner 
to  "  prepare  a  place  for  them,"  the  severity  of  his  suffer- 
ings, the  trial  of  his  faith  by  the  contrast  which  his 
condition  presented  to  what  God  had  promised,  and 
his  final  exaltation.  The  description  of  Joseph's  im- 
prisonment adds  some  dark  touches  to  the  account  in 
Genesis,  whether  these  are  due  to  poetic  idealising  or 
to  tradition.  In  ver.  i8  6  some  would  translate  "Iron 
came  over  his  soul."  So  Delitzsch,  following  the  Vul- 
gate ("  Ferrum  pertransiit  animam  ejus  "),  and  the  pic- 
turesque Prayer-Book  Version,  "  The  iron  entered  into 
his  soul."  But  the  original  is  against  this,  as  the  word 
for  iron  is  masculine  and  the  verb  is  feminine,  agreeing 
with  the  feminine  noun  soul.  The  clause  is  simply  a 
parallel  to  the  preceding.  "  His  soul  "  is  best  taken 
as  a  mere  periphrasis  for  he,  though  it  may  be  used 
emphatically  to  suggest  that  "  his  soul  entered,  whole 
and  entire,  in  its  resolve  to  obey  God,  into  the  cruel 
torture  "  (Kay).  The  meaning  is  conveyed  by  the  free 
rendering  above. 

Ver.  19  is  also  ambiguous,  from  the  uncertainty  as 
to  whose  word  is  intended  in  a.  It  may  be  either 
God's  or  Joseph's.  The  latter  is  the  more  probable, 
as  there  appears  to  be  an  intentional  contrast  between 
"  His  word  "  in  a,  and  "the  promise  of  Jehovah"  in  b. 
If  this  explanation  is  adopted,  a  choice  is  still  possible 
between  Joseph's  interpretation  of  his  fellow-prisoners' 
dreams,  the  fulfilment  of  which  led  to  his  liberation, 
and  his  earlier  word  recounting  his  own  dreams,  which 


cv.]  THE  PSALMS  133 

led  to  his  being  sold  by  his  brethren.  In  any  case,  the 
thought  of  the  verse  is  a  great  and  ever  true  one,  that 
God's  promise,  while  it  remains  unfulfilled,  and  seems 
contradicted  by  present  facts,  serves  as  a  test  of  the 
genuineness  and  firmness  of  a  man's  reliance  on  Him 
and  it.  That  promise  is  by  the  psalmist  almost  per- 
sonified, as  putting  Joseph  to  the  test.  Such  testing 
is  the  deepest  meaning  of  all  afflictions.  Fire  will  burn 
off  a  thin  plating  of  silver  from  a  copper  coin  and  reveal 
the  base  metal  beneath,  but  it  will  only  brighten  into 
a  glow  the  one  which  is  all  silver. 

There  is  a  ring  of  triumph  in  the  singer's  voice  as 
he  tells  of  the  honour  and  power  heaped  on  the  captive, 
and  of  how  the  king  of  many  nations  "  sent,"  as  the 
mightier  King  in  heaven  had  done  (vv.  20  and  17),  and 
not  only  liberated  but  exalted  him,  giving  him,  whose 
soul  had  been  bound  in  fetters,  power  to  "  bind  princes 
according  to  his  soul,"  and  to  instruct  and  command 
the  elders  of  Eg3'pt. 

Vv.  23-27  carry  on  the  story  to  the  next  step  in  the 
evolution  of  God's  purposes.  The  long  years  of  the 
sojourn  in  Egypt  are  summarily  dealt  with,  as  they 
are  in  the  narrative  in  Genesis  and  Exodus,  and  the 
salient  points  of  its  close  alone  are  touched — the 
numerical  growth  of  the  people,  the  consequent  hostility 
of  the  Egyptians,  and  the  mission  of  Moses  and  Aaron. 
The  direct  ascription  to  God  of  all  the  incidents  men- 
tioned is  to  be  noted.  The  psalmist  sees  only  one  hand 
moving,  and  has  no  hesitation  in  tracing  to  God  the 
turning  of  the  Egyptians'  hearts  to  hatred.  Many  com- 
mentators, both  old  and  new,  try  to  weaken  the  expres- 
sion, by  the  explanation  that  the  hatred  was  "  indirectly 
the  work  of  God,  inasmuch  as  He  lent  increasing  might 
to  the  people  "  (Delitzsch).     But   the  psalmist   means 


134  THE  PSALMS 


much  more  than  this,  just  as  Exodus  does  in  attributing 
the  hardening  of  Pharaoh's  heart  to  God. 

Ver.  27,  according  to  the  existing  text,  breaks  the 
series  of  verses  beginning  with  a  singular  verb  of 
which  God  is  the  subject,  which  stretch  with  only  one 
other  interruption  from  ver.  24  to  ver.  37.  It  seems 
most  probable,  therefore,  that  the  LXX.  is  right  in 
reading  He  instead  of  They.  The  change  is  but  the 
omission  of  one  letter,  and  the  error  supposed  is  a  fre- 
quent one.  The  word  literally  means  set  or  planted,  and 
did  is  an  explanation  rather  than  a  rendering.  The 
whole  expression  is  remarkable.  Literally,  we  should 
translate  "  He  "  (or  **  They  ")  "  set  among  them  words  " 
(or  "  matters  ")  "  of  His  signs  "  ;  but  this  would  be  un- 
intelligible, and  we  must  have  recourse  to  reproduction 
of  the  meaning  rather  than  of  the  words. 

If  "words  of  His  signs"  is  not  merely  pleonastic,  it 
may  be  rendered,  as  by  Kay,  "  His  long  record  of 
signs,"  or  as  by  Cheyne,  "  His  varied  signs."  But  it 
is  better  to  take  the  expression  as  suggesting  that  the 
miracles  were  indeed  words,  as  being  declarations  of 
God's  will  and  commands  to  let  His  people  go.  The 
phrase  in  ver.  5,  "the  judgments  of  His  mouth,"  would 
then  be  roughly  parallel.  God's  deeds  are  words.  His 
signs  have  tongues.  "  He  speaks  and  it  is  done  "  ;  but 
also,  "  He  does  and  it  is  spoken."  The  expression, 
however,  may  be  like  Psalm  Ixv.  4,  where  the  same 
form  of  phrase  is  applied  to  sins,  and  where  it  seems 
to  mean  "deeds  of  iniquity."  It  would  then  mean  here 
"  His  works  which  were  signs." 

The  following  enumeration  of  the  "  signs  "  does  not 
follow  the  order  in  Exodus,  but  begins  with  the  ninth 
plague,  perhaps  because  of  its  severity,  and  then  in  the 
main  adheres  to  the  original  sequence,  though  it  inverts 


cv.J  THE  PSALMS  135 

the  order  of  the  third  and  forth  plagues  (flies  and  gnats 
or  mosquitoes,  not  "  lice  ")  and  omits  the  fifth  and  sixth. 
The  reason  for  this  divergence  is  far  from  clear,  but  it 
may  be  noted  that  the  first  two  in  the  psalmist's  order 
attack  the  elements ;  the  next  three  (frogs,  flies,  gnats) 
have  to  do  with  animal  life ;  and  the  next  two  (hail  and 
locusts),  which  embrace  both  these  categories,  are  con- 
sidered chiefly  as  aflfccting  vegetable  products.  The 
emphasis  is  laid  in  all  on  God's  direct  act.  He  sends 
darkness.  He  turns  the  waters  into  blood,  and  so  on. 
The  only  other  point  needing  notice  in  these  verses  is 
the  statement  in  ver.  28  b.  "  They  rebelled  not  against 
His  word,"  which  obviously  is  true  only  in  reference  to 
Moses  and  Aaron,  who  shrank  not  from  their  perilous 
embassage. 

The  tenth  plague  is  briefly  told,  for  the  psalm  is 
hurrying  on  to  the  triumphant  climax  of  the  Exodus, 
when,  enriched  with  silver  and  gold,  the  tribes  went 
forth,  strong  for  their  desert  march,  and  Egypt  rejoiced 
to  see  the  last  of  them,  "  for  they  said,  We  be  all  dead 
men  "  (Exod.  xii.  "x^t^.  There  may  be  a  veiled  hope  in 
this  exultant  picture  of  the  Exodus,  that  present  oppres- 
sion will  end  in  like  manner.  The  wilderness  sojourn 
is  so  treated  in  ver.  39  sqq.  as  to  bring  into  sight  only 
the  leading  instances,  sung  in  many  psalms,  of  God's 
protection,  without  one  disturbing  reference  to  the  sins 
and  failures  which  darkened  the  forty  years.  These 
are  spread  out  at  length,  without  flattery  or  minimising, 
in  the  next  psalm  ;  but  here  the  theme  is  God's  wonders. 
Therefore,  the  pillar  of  cloud  which  guided,  covered,  and 
illumined  the  camp,  the  miracles  which  provided  food 
and  water,  are  touched  on  in  vv.  39-41,  and  then  the 
psalmist  gathers  up  the  lessons  which  he  would  teach 
in  three  great  thoughts.     The  reason  for  God's  merciful 


i:;6  THE  PSALMS 


dealings  with  His  people  is  His  remembrance  of  His 
covenant,  and  of  His  servant  Abraham,  whose  faith 
made  a  claim  on  God,  for  the  fulfilment  which  would 
vindicate  it.  That  covenant  has  been  amply  fulfilled, 
for  Israel  came  forth  with  ringing  songs,  and  took  pos- 
session of  lands  which  they  had  not  tilled,  and  houses 
which  they  had  not  built.  The  purpose  of  covenant 
and  fulfilment  is  that  the  nation,  thus  admitted  into 
special  relations  with  God,  should  by  His  mercies  be 
drawn  to  keep  His  commandments,  and  in  obedience 
find  rest  and  closer  fellowship  with  its  God.  The 
psalmist  had  learned  that  God  gives  before  He  demands 
or  commands,  and  that  "  Love,"  springing  from  grateful 
reception  of  His  benefits,  "  is  the  fulfilling  of  the  Law." 
He  anticipates  the  full  Christian  exhortation,  "  I  beseech 
you,  brethren,  by  the  mercies  of  God,  that  ye  present 
your  bodies  a  living  sacrifice." 


PSALM    CVI. 

1  Hallelujah ! 

Give  thanks  to  Jehovah,  for  He  is  good, 
For  His  loving-kindness  [endures]  for  ever. 

2  Who  can  speak  forth  the  mighty  deeds  of  Jehovah  ? 
[Who]  can  cause  all  His  praise  to  be  heard  ? 

3  Blessed  are  they  who  observe  right, 
He  who  does  righteousness  at  all  times. 

4  Remember  me,  Jehovah,  with  the  favour  which  Thou  bearest 

to  Thy  people, 
Visit  mc  with  Thy  salvation  ; 

5  That  I  may  look  on  the  prosperity  of  Thy  chosen  ones. 
That  I  .nay  joy  in  the  joy  of  Thy  nation, 

That  I  may  triumph  with  Thine  inheritance. 

6  We  have  sinned  with  our  fathers, 

We  have  done  perversely,  have  done  wickedlj*. 

7  Our  fathers  in  Egypt  considered  not  Tiiy  wonders. 

They  remembered  not  the  multitude  of  Thy  loving-kindnesses, 
And  rebelled  at  the  Sea,  by  the  Red  Sea. 

8  And  He  saved  them  for  His  name's  sake. 
To  make  known  His  might ; 

9  And  He  rebuked  the  Red  Sea  and  it  was  dried  up. 
And  He  led  them  in  the  depths  as  in  a  wilderness ; 

10  And  He  saved  them  from  the  hand  of  the  hater. 
And  redeemed  them  from  the  hand  of  the  enemy  ; 

11  And  the  waters  covered  their  oppressors. 
Not  one  of  them  was  left ; 

12  And  they  believed  on  His  words, 
They  sang  His  praise. 

13  They  hasted  [and]  forgot  His  works. 
They  waited  not  for  His  counsel ; 

14  And  they  lusted  a  lust  in  the  wilderness, 
And  tempted  God  in  the  desert; 

"37 


138  THE  PSALMS 


15  And  He  gave  them  what  they  asked  for, 
And  sent  wasting  sickness  into  their  soul. 

16  They  were  jealous  against  Moses  in  the  camp, 
Against  Aaron,  the  holy  one  of  Jehovah. 

17  The  earth  opened  and  swallowed  Dathan, 
And  covered  the  company  of  Abiram  ; 

18  And  iire  blazed  out  on  their  company, 
Flame  consumed  the  wicked  ones. 

19  1  nf  y  made  a  calf  in  Horeb, 

And  bowed  down  to  a  molten  image ; 

20  And  they  changed  their  Glory 

For  the  likeness  of  a  grass-eating  ox. 

21  They  forgot  God  their  Saviour, 
Who  did  great  things  in  Egypt, 

22  Wonders  in  the  land  of  Ham, 
Dread  things  by  the  Red  Sea. 

23  And  He  said  that  He  would  annihilate  them, 

Had  not  Moses,  His  chosen  one,  stood  in  the  breach  con- 
fronting Him 
To  turn  His  anger  from  destroying. 

24  And  they  despised  the  delightsome  land, 
They  trusted  not  to  His  word  ; 

25  And  they  murmured  in  their  tents. 

They  hearkened  not  to  the  voice  of  Jehovah  ; 

26  And  He  lifted  up  His  hand  to  them,  [swearing] 
That  He  would  make  them  fall  in  the  wilderness, 

27  And  that  He  would  make  their  seed  fall  among  the  nations, 
And  scatter  them  in  the  lands. 

28  And  they  yoked  themselves  to  Baal-Peor, 
And  ate  the  sacrifices  of  dead  [gods] ; 

29  And  they  provoked  Him  by  their  doings. 
And  a  plague  broke  in  upon  them  ; 

30  And  Phinehas  stood  up  and  did  judgment. 
And  the  plague  was  stayed  ; 

31  And  it  was  reckoned  to  him  for  righteousness, 
To  generation  after  generation,  for  ever. 

32  And  they  moved  indignation  at  the  waters  of  Meribah, 
And  it  fared  ill  with  Moses  on  their  account. 

2,T,  For  they  rebelled  against  [His]  Spirit, 
And  he  spoke  rashly  with  his  lips. 


cvi.]  THE  PSALMS  I39 


34  They  destroyed  not  the  peoples 
[Of]  whom  Jehovah  spoke  to  them  ; 

35  And  they  mixed  themselves  with  the  nations 
And  learned  their  works; 

36  And  they  served  their  idols 

And  they  became  to  them  a  snare ; 

37  And  they  sacrificed  their  sons 
And  their  daughters  to  demons; 

38  And    they  shed   innocent   blood,    the   blood  of  their    sons    and 

daughters, 
Whom  they  sacrificed  to  the  idols  of  Canaan, 
And  the  land  was  profaned  by  bloodshed. 

39  And  they  became  unclean  through  their  works. 
And  committed  whoredom  through  their  doings. 

40  And  the  anger  of  Jehovah  kindled  on  His  people. 
And  He  abhorred  His  inheritance; 

41  And  He  gave  them  into  the  hand  of  the  nations. 
And  their  haters  lorded  it  over  them  ; 

42  And  their  enemies  oppressed  them, 

And  they  were  bowed  down  under  their  hand. 

43  Many  times  did  He  deliver  them. 

And  they — they  rebclliously  followed  their  own  counsel, 
And  were  brought  low  through  their  iniquity; 

44  And  He  looked  on  their  distress 
When  He  heard  their  cry  ; 

45  And  He  remembered  for  them  His  covenant. 

And  repented  according  to  the  multitude  of  His  loving-kindness, 

46  And  caused  them  to  find  compassion, 
In  the  presence  of  all  their  captors. 

47  Save  us,  Jehovah,  our  God, 

And  gather  us  from  among  the  nations, 

That  we  may  thank  Thy  holy  name. 

That  we  may  make  our  boast  in  Thy  praise. 

48  Blessed  be  Jehovah,  the  God  of  Israel, 
From  everlasting  and  to  everlasting. 
And  let  all  the  people  say  Amen. 

Hallelujah ! 

THE  history  of  God's  past  is  a  record  of  continuous 
mercies,  the  history  of  man's,  one  of  as  continuous 
sin.     Tlie  memory  of  the  former  quickened  the  psalmist 


I40  THE  PSALMS 


into  his  sunny  song  of  thankfulness  in  the  previous 
psalm.  That  of  the  latter  moves  him  to  the  confessions 
in  this  one.  They  are  complements  of  each  other,  and 
are  connected  not  only  as  being  both  retrospective,  but 
by  the  identity  of  their  beginnings  and  the  difference 
of  their  points  of  view.  The  parts  of  the  early  history 
dealt  with  in  the  one  are  lightly  touched  or  altogether 
omitted  in  the  other.  The  key-note  of  Psalm  cv.  is, 
"  Remember  His  mighty  deeds  "  ;  that  of  Psalm  cvi.  is, 
"  They  forgot  His  mighty  deeds." 

Surely  never  but  in  Israel  has  patriotism  chosen  a 
nation's  sins  for  the  themes  of  song,  or,  in  celebrating 
its  victories,  written  but  one  name,  the  name  of  Jehovah, 
on  its  trophies.  But  in  the  Psalter  we  have  several 
instances  of  such  hymns  of  national  confession  ;  and,  in 
other  books,  there  are  the  formulary  at  the  presentation 
of  the  first-fruits  (Deut.  xxvi.),  Solomon's  prayer  at  the 
dedication  of  the  Temple  (i  Kings  viii.),  Nehemiah's 
prayer  (Neh.  ix.),  and  Daniel's  (Dan.  ix.). 

An  exilic  date  is  implied  by  the  prayer  of  ver.  47, 
for  the  gathering  of  the  people  from  among  the  nations. 
The  occurrence  of  vv.  I  and  47,  48,  in  the  compilation 
in  I  Chron.  xvi.  shows  that  this  psalm,  which  marks  the 
close  of  the  Fourth  Book,  was  in  existence  prior  to  the 
date  of  I  Chronicles. 

No  trace  of  strophical  arrangement  is  discernible. 
But,  after  an  introduction  in  some  measure  like  that  in 
^  Psalm  cv.,  the  psalmist  plunges  into  his  theme,  and 
draws  out  the  long,  sad  story  of  Israel's  faithlessness. 
He  recounts  seven  instances  during  the  wilderness 
sojourn  (vv.  7-33),  and  then  passes  to  those  occurring 
in  the  Land  (vv.  34-39),  with  which  he  connects  the 
alternations  of  punishment  and  relenting  on  God's  part 
and  the  obstinacy  of  transgression   on    Israel's,   even 


cvi.]  THE  PSALMS  141 


down  to  the  moment  in  which  he  speaks  (vv.  40-46). 
The  whole  closes  with  a  prayer  for  restoration  to  the 
Land  (ver.  47) ;  to  which  is  appended  the  doxology 
(ver.  48),  the  mark  of  the  end  of  Book  IV.,  and  not  a 
part  of  the  psalm. 

The  psalmist  preludes  his  confession  and  contempla- 
tion of  his  people's  sins  by  a  glad  remembrance  of 
God's  goodness  and  enduring  loving-kindness  and  by 
a  prayer  for  himself.  Some  commentators  regard  these 
introductory  verses  as  incongruous  with  the  tone  of  the 
psalm,  and  as  mere  liturgical  commonplace,  which  has 
been  tacked  on  without  much  heed  to  fitness.  But  ] 
surely  the  thought  of  God's  unspeakable  goodness  most  / 
appropriately  precedes  the  psalmist's  confession,  for' 
nothing  so  melts  a  heart  in  penitence  as  the  remem- 
brance of  God's  love,  and  nothing  so  heightens  the  evil 
of  sin  as  the  consideration  of  the  patient  goodness 
which  it  has  long  flouted.  The  blessing  pronounced  in 
ver.  3  on  those  who  "  do  righteousness  "  and  keep  the 
law  is  not  less  natural,  before  a  psalm  which  sets  forth 
in  melancholy  detail  the  converse  truth  of  the  misery 
that  dogs  breaking  the  law. 

In  vv.  4,  5,  the  psalmist  interjects  a  prayer  for  him- 
self, the  abruptness  of  which  strongly  reminds  us  of 
similar  jets  of  personal  supplication  in  Nehemiah. 
The  determination  to  make  the  **  I  "  of  the  Psalter  the 
nation  perversely  insists  on  that  personification  here, 
in  spite  of  the  clear  distinction  thrice  drawn  in  ver.  5 
between  the  psalmist  and  his  people.  The  "  salvation  " 
in  which  he  desires  to  share  is  the  deliverance  from 
exile  for  which  he  prays  in  the  closing  verse  of  the 
psalm.  There  is  something  very  pathetic  in  this 
momentary  thought  of  self.  It  breathes  wistful  yearn- 
ing, absolute  confidence  in  the  unrealised  deliverance, 


142  THE  PSALMS 


lowly  humility  which  bases  its  t:laim  with  God  on  that 
of  the  nation.  Such  a  prayer  stands  in  the  closest 
relation  to  the  theme  of  the  psalm,  which  draws  out  the 
dark  record  of  national  sin,  in  order  to  lead  to  that 
national  repentance  which,  as  all  the  history  shows,  is 
the  necessary  condition  of  **  the  prosperity  of  Thy 
chosen  ones."  Precisely  because  the  hope  of  restora- 
tion is  strong,  the  delineation  of  sin  is  unsparing. 

With  ver.  6  the  theme  of  the  psalm  is  given  forth,  in 
language  which  recalls  Solomon's  and  Daniel's  similar 
confessions  (i  Kings  viii.  47;  Dan.  ix.  5).  The 
accumulation  of  synonyms  for  sin  witnesses  at  once 
to  the  gravity  and  manifoldness  of  the  offences,  and 
to  the  earnestness  and  comprehensiveness  of  the 
acknowledgment.  The  remarkable  expression  "  We 
have  sinned  with  our  fathers  "  is  not  to  be  weakened 
to  mean  merely  that  the  present  generation  had 
sinned  like  their  ancestors,  but  gives  expression  to 
the  profound  sense  of  national  solidarity,  which  speaks 
in  many  other  places  of  Scripture,  and  rests  on  very 
deep  facts  in  the  life  of  nations  and  their  individual 
members.  The  enumeration  of  ancestral  sin  begins 
with  the  murmurings  of  the  faint-hearted  fugitives  by 
the  Red  Sea.  In  Psalm  cv.  the  wonders  in  Egypt  were 
dilated  on  and  the  events  at  the  Red  Sea  unmentioned. 
Here  the  signs  in  Egypt  are  barely  referred  to  and 
treated  as  past  at  the  point  where  the  psalm  begins, 
while  the  incidents  by  the  Red  Sea  fill  a  large  space  in 
the  song.  Clearly,  the  two  psalms  supplement  each 
other.  The  reason  given  for  Israel's  rebellion  in 
Psalm  cvi.  is  its  forgetfulness  of  God's  mighty  deeds 
(ver.  7  a,  b),  while  in  Psalm  cv.  the  remembrance  of 
these  is  urgently  enjoined.  Thus,  again,  the  connection 
of  thought  in  the  pair  of  psalms  is  evident.     Every  man 


cvi.]  THE  PSALMS  143 


has  experiences  enough  of  God's  goodness  stored  away 
in  the  chambers  of  his  memory  to  cure  him  of  distrust, 
if  he  would  only  look  at  them.  But  they  lie  unnoticed, 
and  so  fear  has  sway  over  him.  No  small  part  of  the 
discipline  needed  for  vigorous  hope  lies  in  vigorous 
exercise  of  remembrance.  The  drying  up  of  the  Red 
Sea  is  here  poetically  represented,  with  omission  of 
Moses'  outstretched  rod  and  the  strong  east  wind,  as 
the  immediate  consequence  of  God's  omnipotent  rebuke. 
Ver.  9Z»  is  from  Isa.  Ixiii.  13,  and  picturesquely 
describes  the  march  through  that  terrible  gorge  of 
heaped-up  waters  as  being  easy  and  safe,  as  if  it  had 
been  across  some  wide-stretching  plain,  with  springy 
turf  to  tread  on.  The  triumphant  description  of  the 
completeness  of  the  enemies'  destruction  in  ver.  1 1  ^  is 
from  Exod.  xiv.  28,  and  "  they  believed  on  His  words  " 
is  in  part  quoted  from  Exod.  xiv.  31,  while  Miriam's 
song  is  referred  to  in  ver.  12  b. 

The  next  instance  oj^departure  is  the  lusting  for 
food  (vv.  13-15).  Again  the  evil  is  traced  to  forgetful- 
ness  of  God's  doings,  to  which  in  ver.  13^  is  added 
impatient  disinclination  to  wait  the  unfolding  of  His 
counsel  or  plan.  These  evils  cropped  up  with  strange 
celerity.  The  memory  of  benefits  was  transient,  as  if 
they  had  been  written  on  the  blown  sands  of  the 
desert.  "  They  hasted,  they  forgot  His  works."  Of 
how  many  of  us  that  has  to  be  said  !  We  remember 
pain  and  sorrow  longer  than  joy  and  pleasure.  It  is 
always  difficult  to  bridle  desires  and  be  still  until  God 
discloses  His  purposes.  We  are  all  apt  to  try  to  force 
His  hand  open,  and  to  impose  our  wishes  on  Him,' 
rather  than  to  let  His  will  mould  us.  So,  on  forget- 
fulness  and  impatience  there  followed  then,  as  there 
follow  still,  eager  longings  after  material  good  and  a 


144  THE  PSALMS 


tempting  of  God.  "  They  lusted  a  lust  "  is  from  Num. 
xi.  4.  "Tempted  God"  is  found  in  reference  to  the 
same  incident  in  the  other  psalm  of  historical  retrospect 
(Ixxviii.  18).  He  is  **  tempted  "  when  unbelief  demands 
proofs  of  His  power,  instead  of  waiting  patiently  for 
Him.  In  Num.  xi.  33  Jehovah  is  said  to  have  smitten 
the  people  "with  a  very  great  plague."  The  psalm 
specifies  more  particularl}^  the  nature  of  the  stroke  by 
calling  it  "  wasting  sickness,"  which  invaded  the  life 
of  the  sinners.  The  words  are  true  in  a  deeper  sense, 
though  not  so  meant.  For  whoever  sets  his  hot  desires 
in  self-willed  fashion  on  material  good,  and  succeeds  in 
securing  their  gratification,  gains  with  the  satiety  of  his 
lower  sense  the  loss  of  a  shrivelled  spiritual  nature. 
fFull-fed  flesh  makes  starved  souls.  ) 
/K  /  The  third  instance  is  the  revolt  headed  by  Korah, 
Dathan,  and  Abiram  against  the  exclusive  Aaronic 
priesthood  (vv.  16-18).  It  was  rebellion  against  God, 
for  He  had  set  apart  Aaron  as  His  own,  and  therefore 
the  unusual  title  of  "  the  holy  one  of  Jehovah  "  is  here 
given  to  the  high  priest.  The  expression  recalls  the 
fierce  protest  of  the  mutineers,  addressed  to  Moses  and 
Aaron,  "  Ye  take  too  much  upon  you,  seeing  all  the 
I  congregation  are  holy  "  (Num.  xvi.  3) ;  and  also  Moses' 
^  answer,  "  Jehovah  will  show  .  .  .  who  is  holy."  Envy 
often  masquerades  as  the  champion  of  the  rights  ofTKe" 
communit}',  when  it  only  wishes  to  grasp  these  for 
itself.  These  aristocratic  democrats  cared  nothing  for 
the  prerogatives  of  the  nation,  though  they  talked  about 
them^y'They  wanted  to  pull  down  Aaron,  not  to  lift 
-up  Israel.  Their  end  is  described  with  stern  brevity, 
in  language  coloured  by  the  narrative  in  Numbers, 
from  which  the  phrases  "  opened  "  (/'.6'.,  her  mouth) 
and    "  covered  "  are  drawn.     Korah  is  not  mentioned 


cvi.]  THE  PSALMS  145 


here,  in  which  the  psalm  follows  Num.  xvi.  and 
Deut.  xi.  6,  whereas  Num.  xxvi.  10  includes  Korali 
in  the  destruction.  The  difficulty  does  not  seem  to 
have  received  any  satisfactory  solution.  But  Cheyne 
is  too  peremptory  when  he  undertakes  to  divine  the 
reason  for  the  omission  of  Korah  here  and  in  Deut.  xi.  6, 
"  because  he  was  a  Levite  and  his  name  was  dear 
to  temple-poets."  Such  clairvoyance  as  to  motives 
is  beyond  ordinary  vision.  In  ver.  18  the  fate  of  the 
two  hundred  and  fifty  "princes  of  Israel"  who  took 
part  in  the  revolt  is  recorded  as  in  Num.  xvi.  35. 

The  worship  of  the  calf  is  the  fourth  instance  'y 
(yv.  19-23)  in  the  narrative  of  which  the  psalmist 
follows  Exod.  xxxii.,  but  seems  also  to  have  Deut. 
ix.  8-12  floating  in  his  mind,  as  appears  from  the  use 
of  the  name  "  Horeb,"  which  is  rare  in  Exodus  and 
frequent  in  Deuteronomy.  Ver.  20  is  apparently 
modelled  on  Jer.  ii.  1 1  :  "  My  people  have  changed  their 
glory  for  that  which  doth  not  profit."  Compare  also 
Paul's  "changed  the  glory  of  the  incorruptible  God 
for  the  likeness,"  etc.  (Rom.  i.  23).  **  His  glory  "  is 
read  instead  **  their  glory  "  b}'  Noldeke,  Graetz,  and 
Cheyne,  following  an  old  Jewish  authority.  The  LXX., 
inCodd.  Alex,  and  Sin.  (second  hand),  has  this  reading, 
and  Paul  seems  to  follow  it  in  the  passage  just  quoted. 
It  yields  a  worthy  meaning,  but  the  existing  text  is 
quite  appropriate.  It  scarcely  means  that  God  was 
the  source  of  Israel's  glory  or  their  boast,  for  the  word 
is  not  found  in  that  sense.  It  is  much  rather  the  name  \ 
for  the  collective  attributes  of  the  revealed  Godhead,  \ 
and  is  here  substantially  equivalent  to  "  their  God,"  1 
that  lustrous  Light  which,  in  a  special  manner,  belonged 
to  the  people  of  revelation,  on  whom  its  first  and 
brightest    beams    shone.       The    strange    perverseness 

VOL.  ni.  10 


I46     •  THE  PSALMS 


I 


which  turned  away  from  such  a  radiance  of  glory  to 
bow  down  before  an  idol  is  strikingly  set  forth  by 
the  figure  of  bartering  it  for  an  image,  and  that  of  an 
ox  that  ate  grass.  The  one  true  Substance  given  away 
for  a  shadow  1  The  lofty  Being  whose  light  filled 
space  surrendered  :  and  for  what  ?  A  brute  that  had 
to  feed,  and  that  on  herbage  !  Men  usually  make  a 
profit,  or  think  they  do,  on  their  barter :  but  what  do 
they  gain  by  exchanging  God  for  anything  ?  Yet  we 
keep  making  the  same  mistake  of  parting  with  Sub- 
stance for  shadows.  And  the  reason  which  moved 
Israel  is  still  operative.  As  before^  the  psalmist  traces 
their  mad  apostasy  to  forgetful ness  of  God's  deeds. 
The  list  of  these  is  now  increased  by  the  addition  of 
those  at  the  Red  Sea.  With  every  step  new  links 
were  added  to  the  chain  that  should  have  bound  the 
recipients  of  so  many  mercies  to  God.  Therefore  each 
new  act  of  departure  was  of  a  darker  hue  of  guilt, 
and  drew  on  the  apostates  severer  punishment,  which 
also,  rightly  understood,  was  greater  mercy. 

"  He  said  that  He  would  annihilate  them  "  is  quoted 
/rom  Deut.  ix.  25.  Moses'  intercession  for  the  people 
is  here  most  vividly  represented  under  the  figure  of 
a  champion,  who  rushes  into  the  breach  by  which 
the  enemy  is  about  to  pour  into  some  beleaguered  town, 
and  with  his  own  body  closes  the  gap  and  arrests  the 
assault  (cf  Ezek.  xxii.  30). 

The  fifth  instance  is  the  refusal  to  go  up  to  the  land, 
I  which  followed  on  the  report  of  the  spies  (vv.  24-27). 
These  verses  are  full  of  reminiscences  of  the  Pentateuch 
and  other  parts  of  Scripture.  "  The  delightsome  land  " 
(lit.  "land  of  desire  ")  is  found  in  Jer.  iii.  19  and  Zech. 
vii.  14.  "They  despised"  is  from  Num.  xiv.  31. 
"  They  murmured  in  their  tents  "  is  from  Deut.  i.  27 


cvi.]  The  psalms  \a1 

(the  only  other  place  in  which  the  word  for  murmuring 
occurs  in  this  form).  Lifting  up  the  hand  is  used,  as 
here,  not  in  the  usual  sense  of  threatening  to  strike, 
but  in  that  of  swearing,  in  Exod.  vi.  8,  and  the  oath 
itself  is  given  in  Num.  xiv.  28  sqq.,  while  the  expres- 
sion "  lifted  up  My  hand  "  occurs  in  that  context,  in 
reference  to  God's  original  oath  to  the  patriarch.  The 
threat  of  exile  (ver.  27)  does  not  occur  in  Numbers,  but 
is  found  as  the  punishment  of  apostasy  in  Lev.  xxvi.  33 
and  Deut.  xxviii.  64.  The  verse,  however,  is  found 
almost  exactly  in  Ezek.  xx.  23,  with  the  exception  that 
there  "  scatter "  stands  in  a  instead  of  make  to  fall. 
The  difference  in  the  Hebrew  is  only  in  the  final  letter  of 
the  words,  and  the  reading  in  Ezekiel  should  probably 
be  adopted  here.  So  the  LXX,  and  other  ancient  autho- 
rities and  many  of  the  moderns. 

The  sixth  instance  is  the  participation  in  the  abomin- 
able Moabitish  worship  of  *' BaalrPeor,"  recorded  in 
Num.  XXV.  The  peculiar  phrase  "  yoked  themselves  to  " 
is  taken  from  that  chapter,  and  seems  to  refer  to  **  the , 
mystic,  quasi-physical  union  supposed  to  exist  between  ) 
a  god  and  his  worshippers,  and  to  be  kept  up  by  sacri- 
ficial meals  "  (Cheyne).  These  are  called  sacrifices  of 
the  dead,  inasmuch  as  idols  are  dead  in  contrast  with 
the  living  God.  The  judicial  retribution  inflicted  accord- 
ing to  Divine  command  by  the  judges  of  Israel  slaying 
"  every  one  his  man  "  is  here  called  a  **  plague,"  as  in 
the  foundation  passage.  Num.  xxv.  9.  The  word  (lit. 
"a  stroke,"  i.e.  from  God)  is  usually  applied  to  punitive 
sickness ;  but  God  smites  when  He  bids  men  smite. 
Both  the  narrative  in  Numbers  and  the  psalm  bring  out 
vividly  the  picture  of  the  indignant  Phinehas  spring- 
ing to  his  feet  from  the  midst  of  the  passive  crowd. 
He  "  rose  up,"  says  the  former  ;  he  "  stood  up,"  says 


c 


148  THE  PSALMS 


% 


the  latter.  And  his  deed  is  described  in  the  psalm  in 
relation  to  its  solemn  judicial  character,  without  par- 
ticularising its  details.  The  psalmist  would  partially 
veil  both  the  sin  and  the  horror  of  its  punishment. 
Phinehas'  javelin  was  a  minister  of  God's  justice,  and 
the  death  of  the  two  culprits  satisfied  that  justice  and 
stayed  the  plague.  The  word  rendered  "did  judgment" 
has  that  meaning  only,  and  such  renderings  as  mediated 
or  appeased  give  the  effect  of  the  deed  and  not  the 
description  of  it  contained  in  the  word.  "It  was 
reckoned  to  him  for  righteousness,"  as  Abraham's 
faith  was  (Gen.  xv.  6).  It  was  indeed  an  act  which 
had  its  origin  "  in  the  faithfulness  that  had  its  root 
in  faith,  and  which,  for  the  sake  of  this  its  ultimate 
ground,  gained  him  the  acceptation  of  a  righteous  man, 
inasmuch  as  it  proved  him  to  be  such  "  (Delitzsch,  Eng. 
Trans.).  He  showed  himself  a  true  son  of  Abi-aham 
in  the  midst  of  these  degenerate  descendants,  and  it 
was  the  same  impulse  of  faith  which  drove  his  spear, 
and  which  filled  the  patriarch's  heart  when  he  gazed 
into  the  silent  sky  and  saw  in  its  numberless  lights 
the  promise  of  his  seed.  Phinehas'  reward  was  the 
permanence  of  the  priesthood  in  his  family. 

The  seventh  instance  is  the  rebellion  at  the  waters 
of  Meribah  (Strife),  in  the  fortieth  year  (Num.  xx. 
2-13).  The  chronological  order  is  here  set  aside,  for 
the  events  recorded  in  vv.  28-31  followed  those 
dealt  with  in  vv.  32,  2id-  ^^^  reason  is  probably 
that  here  Moses  himself  is  hurried  into  sin,  through 
the  people's  faithlessness,  and  so  a  climax  is  reached. 
The  leader,  long-tried,  fell  at  last,  and  was  shut  out 
from  entering  the  land.  That  was  in  some  aspects  the 
master-piece  and  triumph  of  the  nation's  sin.  "  It 
fared  ill  with  Moses  on  their  account,"  as  in  Deut.  i.  37, 


cvi.]  THE  PSALMS  149 

iii,  26,  "Jehovah  was  angry  with  me  for  your  sakes." 
"  His  Spirit,"  in  ver.  33,  is  best  taken  as  meaning  the 
Spirit  of  God.  The  people's  sin  is  repeatedly  specified 
in  the  psalm  as  being  rebellion  against  God,  and  the 
absence  of  a  more  distinct  definition  of  the  person 
referred  to  is  like  the  expression  in  ver.  32,  where 
"indignation"  is  that  of  God,  though  His  name  is  not 
mentioned.  Isa.  Ixiii.  10  is  a  parallel  to  this  clause,  as 
other  parts  of  the  same  chapter  arc  to  other  parts  of 
the  psalm.  The  question  which  has  been  often  raised, 
as  to  what  was  Moses'  sin,  is  solved  in  ver.  33  ^,  which 
makes  his  passionate  words,  wherein  he  lost  his  temper 
and  arrogated  to  himself  the  power  of  fetching  water 
from  the  rock,  the  head  and  front  of  his  offending. 
The  psalmist  has  finished  his  melancholy  catalogue  oF\ 
sins  in  the  wilderness  with  this  picture  of  the  great  \ 
leader  dragged  down  by  the  prevailing  tone,  and  hej/ 
next  turns  to  the  sins  done  in  the  land. 

Two  flagrant  instances  are  given — disobedience  to 
the  command  to  exterminate  the  inhabitants,  and  the 
adoption  of  their  bloody  worship.  The  conquest  of 
Canaan  was  partial  ;  and,  as  often  is  the  case,  the 
conquerors  were  conquered  and  the  inyaders__caught 
the  manners  of  the  invaded.  Intermarriage  poured  a 
large  infusion  ofalien  blood  into  Israel ;  and  the 
Canaanitish  strain  is  perceptible  to-day  in  the  fellahin 
of  the  Holy  Land.  The  proclivity  to  idolatry,  which 
was  natural  in  that  stage  of  the  world's  history,  and 
was  intensified  by  universal  example,  became  more 
irresistible,  when  reinforced  by  kinship  and  (neighbour- 
hood, and  the  result  foretold  was  realised — the  idols 
"became  a  snare"  (Judg.  ii.  1-3).  The  poet  dwells 
with  special  abhorrence  on  the  hideous  practice  of 
human    sacrifices,     which     exercised    so    strong    and 


/- 

7^ 


150  THE  PSALMS 


horrible  a  fascination  over  the  inhabitants  of  Canaan. 
The  word  in  ver.   37  demons  is  found  only  here  and 
in  Deut.  xxxii.  17.     The  above  rendering  is  that  of  the 
LXX.     Its  literal  meaning  seems  to  be  "  lords."     It  is 
thus  a  synonym  for  "  Baalim."     The  epithet  "Shaddai" 
exclusively  applied  to  Jehovah  may  be  compared. 
/  In  vv.  40-46  the  whole  history  of  Israel  is  summed 
'  up  as  alternating  periods  of  sin,  punishment,  deliver- 
ance, recurring  in  constantly  repeated  cycles,  in  which 
the   mystery  of  human  obstinacy  is  set  over  against 
that    of    Divine    long-suffering,    and    one    knows    not 
whether  to  wonder  most  at  the  incurable  levity  which 
learned  nothing  from  experience,  or  the  inexhaustible 
long-suffering    which    wearied    not    in    giving    wasted 
gifts.     Chastisement  and  mercies  were  equally  in  vain. 
The  outcome  of  God's  many  deliverances  was,  "  they 
rebelled    in  their   counsel " — i.e.^    went    on    their    own 
stiff-necked  way,  instead  of  waiting  for  and  following 
God's   merciful    plan,    which    would  have    made    them 
secure    and    blessed.      The    end  of  such   obstinacy  of 
disobedience    can    only    be,    "they    were   brought  low 
through  their  iniquity."     The   psalmist  appears  to   be 
quoting  Lev.  xxvi.  39,  "  they  that  are  left  of  you  shall 
pine  away  in  their  iniquity  ".;  but  he  intentionally  slightly 
alters  the  word,   substituting  one  of  nearly   the   same 
sound,    but    with    the    meaning    of  being   brought  loiv 
instead    of  fading  away.     To    follow    one's   own    will 
is  to  secure  humiliation  and  degradation.     Sin  weakens 
the  true  strength  and  darkens  the  true  glory  of  men. 
In  vv.  44-46   the   singer  rises   from  these  sad  and 
stern   thoughts   to    recreate    his    spirit    with    the    con- 
templation of  the  patient  loving-kindness  of  God.     It 
persists  through  all  man's  sin  and  God's  anger.     The 
multitude  of  its  manifestations  far  outnumbers  that  of 


cvi.]  THE  PSALMS  151 

our  sins.     His  eye  looks  on  Israel's  distress  with  pity, 
and    every    sorrow    on    which    He    looks    He    desires 
to  remove.     Calamities  melt  away  beneath   His  gaze, 
like  damp-stains    in    sunlight.     His    merciful    "  look " 
swiftly    follows    the    afflicted    man's    cry.      No    voice) 
acknowledges    sin   and    calls    for    help    in    vain.     The 
covenant  forgotten  by  men  is  none  the  less  remembered 
by  Him.     The  numberless  number  of  His  loving-kind-T\ 
nesses,    greater   than    that   of  all  men's   sins,   secures  ) 
forgiveness    after    the    most    repeated    transgressions.^ 
The  law  and  measure  of  His  **  repenting "  lie  in  the 
endless   depths    of   His    own   heart.     As  the  psalmist 
had  sung  at   the   beginning,   that  loving-kindness  en- 
dures for  ever ;  therefore   none  of  Israel's  many  sins 
went  unchastised,  and  no  chastisement  outlasted  their 
repentance.       Solomon    had    prayed    that    God    would 
"  give  them  compassion  before  those  who  carried  them 
captive "    (i    Kings    viii.    50) ;   and  thus   has   it  been, 
as  the   psalmist  joyfully  sees.     He  may  have  written 
when  the  Babylonian  captivity  was  near  an  end,  and 
such  instances  as   those  of  Daniel  or  Nehemiah  may 
have  been  in  his  mind.     In  any  case,  it  is  beautifully  \ 
significant  that  a  psalm,  which  tells  the  doleful  story  j 
of  centuries  of  faithlessness,   should    end  with    God's  I 
faithfulness  to    His    promises,    His   inexhaustible   for- 1 
giveness,  and  the  multitude  of  His  loving-kindnesses.  ) 
Such  will  be  the  last  result  of  the  world's  history  no 
less  than  of  Israel's. 

The  psalm  closes  with  the  prayer  in  ver.  47,  which 
shows  that  it  was  written  in  exile.  It  corresponds 
in  part  with  the  closing  words  of  Psalm  cv.  Just  as 
there  the  purpose  of  God's  mercies  to  Israel  was  said 
to  be  that  they  might  be  thereby  moved  to  keep  His 
statutes,    so   here    the  psalmist    hopes  and    vows  that 


152  THE  PSALMS 

the  issue  of  his  people's  restoration  will  be  thankfulness 
to  God's  holy  name,  and  triumphant  pealing  forth  from 
ransomed  lips  of  His  high  praises. 

Ver.  48  is  the  concluding  doxology  of  the  Fourth 
Book.  Some  commentators  suppose  it  an  integral  part 
of  the  psalm,  but  it  is  more  probably  an  editorial 
addition. 


BOOK   V. 
PSALMS    CVII.—CL. 


>53 


PSALM    CVII. 

1  Give  thanks  to  Jehovah,  for  He  is  good, 
For  His  loving-kindness  [endures]  for  ever. 

2  Let  the  redeemed  of  Jehovah  say  |thus], 

Whom  He  has  redeemed  from  the  gripe  of  distress, 

3  And  gathered  them  from  the  lands, 
From  east  and  west, 

From  north  and  from  [the]  sea. 

4  They  wandered  in  the  wilderness,  in  a  waste  of  a  way. 
An  inhabited  city  they  found  not. 

5  Hungry  and  thirsty. 

Their  soul  languished  vvitliin  them, 

6  And  they  cried  to  Jehovah  in  their  distress, 
From  their  troubles  He  delivered  them, 

7  And  He  led  them  by  a  straight  way, 
To  go  to  an  inhabited  city. 

8  Let  them  give  thanks  to  Jehovah  [for]  His  loving-kindness, 
And  His  wonders  to  the  sons  of  men. 

9  For  He  satisfies  the  longing  soul. 

And  the  hungry  soul  He  fills  with  good. 

10  Those  who  sat  in  darkness  and  in  deepest  gloom, 
Bound  in  affliction  and  iron, 

11  Because  they  rebelled  against  the  words  of  God, 
And  the  counsel  of  the  Most  High  they  rejected. 

12  And  He  brought  down  their  heart  with  sorrow, 
They  stumbled,  and  helper  there  was  none. 

13  And  they  cried  to  Jeliovah  in  their  distress, 
From  their  troubles  He  saved  them. 

14  He  brought  them  out  from  darkness  and  deepest  gloom. 
And  broke  their  bonds  [asunder]. 

15  Let  them  give  thanks  to  Jehovah  [for]  His  loving-kindness, 
And  His  wonders  to  the  sons  of  men. 

16  For  He  broke  the  doors  of  brass. 

And  the  bars  of  iron  He  hewed  in  pieces. 


IS6  THE  PSALMS 


17  Foolish  men,  because  of  the  course  of  their  transgression, 

And  because  of  their  iniquities,  brought  on  themselves  afiliction. 

18  All  food  their  soul  loathed, 

And  they  drew  near  to  the  gates  of  death. 

19  And  they  cried  to  Jehovah  in  their  distress, 
From  their  troubles  He  saved  them. 

20  He  sent  His  word  and  healed  them. 
And  rescued  them  from  their  graves. 

21  Let  them  give  thanks  to  Jehovah  [for]  His  loving-kindness 
And  His  wonders  to  the  sons  of  men. 

22  And  let  them  offer  sacrifices  of  thanksgiving. 
And  tell  His  works  with  joyful  joy. 

23  They  who  go  down  to  the  sea  in  ships. 
Who  do  business  on  the  great  waters, 

24  They  see  the  works  of  Jehovah, 

And  His  wonders  in  the  foaming  deep. 

25  And  He  spoke  and  raised  a  stormy  wind, 
Which  rolled  high  the  waves  thereof 

26  They  went  up  to  the  sky,  they  went  down  to  the  depths, 
Their  soul  melted  in  trouble. 

27  They  went  round  and  round  and  staggered  like  one  drunk, 
And  all  their  wisdom  forsook  them  [was  swallowed  up], 

28  And  they  cried  to  Jehovah  in  their  distress, 
From  their  trouble  He  brought  them  out. 

29  He  stilled  the  storm  into  a  light  air, 
And  hushed  were  their  waves. 

30  And  they  were  glad  because  these  were  quieted, 
And  He  brought  them  to  the  haven  of  their  desire. 

31  Let  them  give  thanks  to  Jehovah  [for]  His  loving-kindness 
And  His  wonders  to  the  sons  of  men. 

32  And  let  them  exalt  Him  in  the  assembly  of  the  people, 
And  praise  Him  in  the  session  of  the  ciders. 

33  He  turned  rivers  into  a  wilderness. 
And  water-springs  into  thirsty  ground, 

34  A  land  of  fruit  into  a  salt  desert. 

For  the  wickedness  of  the  dwellers  in  it. 

35  He  turned  a  wilderness  into  a  pool  of  water, 
And  a  dry  land  into  water-springs. 

36  And  He  made  the  hungry  to  dwell  there, 
And  they  found  an  inhabited  city. 

37  And  they  sowed  fields  and  planted  vineyards, 
And  these  yielded  fruits  of  increase. 


cvii.]  THE  PSALMS  157 

38  And  He  blessed  them  and  they  multiplied  exceedingly, 
And  their  cattle  He  diminished  not. 

39  And  they  were  diminished  and  brought  low, 
By  the  pressure  of  ill  and  sorrow. 

40  "  He  pours  contempt  on  princes, 

And  makes  them  wander  in  a  pathless  waste." 

41  He  lifted  the  needy  out  of  aflliction, 
And  made  families  like  a  flock. 

42  The  upright  see  it  and  rejoice, 

And  all  pcrverseness  stops  its  mouth. 

43  Whoso  is  wise,  let  him  observe  these  things, 

And  let  them  understand  the  loving-kindnesses  of  Jehovah. 

NOTWITHSTANDING  the  division  of  Books  which 
separates  Psahii  cvii.  from  the  two  preceding,  it 
is  a  pendant  to  these.  The  "gathering  from  among 
the  heathen"  prayed  for  in  Psahn  cvi.  41  has  here 
come  to  pass  (ver.  3).  The  thanksgiving  which  there 
is  regarded  as  the  purpose  of  that  restoration  is  here 
rendered  for  it.  Psalm  cv.  had  for  theme  God's  mercies 
to  the  fathers.  Psalm  cvi.  confessed  the  hereditary 
faithlessness  of  Israel  and  its  chastisement  by  calamity 
and  exile.  Psalm  cvii.  begins  with  summoning  Israel 
as  "  the  redeemed  of  Jehovah,"  to  praise  Him  for  His 
enduring  loving-kindness  in  bringing  them  back  from 
bondage,  and  then  takes  a  wider  flight,  and  celebrates 
the  loving  Providence  which  delivers,  in  all  varieties 
of  peril  and  calamity,  those  who  cry  to  God.  Its  vivid 
pictures  of  distress  and  rescue  begin,  indeed,  with  one 
which  may  fairly  be  supposed  to  have  been  suggested 
by  the  incidents  of  the  return  from  exile  ;  and  the  second 
of  these,  that  of  the  liberated  prisoners,  is  possibly 
coloured  by  similar  reminiscences  ;  but  the  great  restora- 
tion is  only  the  starting-point,  and  the  bulk  of  the  psalm 
goes  further  afield.  Its  instances  of  Divine  deliverance, 
though  cast  into  narrative  form,  describe  not  specific 


1S8  THE  PSALMS 


acts,  but  God's  uniform  way  of  working.  Wherever 
there  are  trouble  and  trust,  there  will  be  triumph  and 
praise.  The  psalmist  is  propounding  a  partial  solu- 
tion of  the  old  problem — the  existence  of  pain  and 
sorrow.  They  come  as  chastisements.  If  terror  or 
misery  drive  men  to  God,  God  answers,  and  deliverance 
is  assured,  from  which  fuller-toned  praise  should  spring. 
It  is  by  no  means  a  complete  vindication  of  Providence, 
and  experience  does  not  bear  out  the  assumption  of 
uniform  answers  to  prayers  for  deliverance  from  ex- 
ternal calamities,  which  was  more  warranted  before 
Christ  than  it  is  now  ;  but  the  essence  of  the  psalmist's 
faith  is  ever  true — that  God  hears  the  cry  of  a  man 
driven  to  cry  by  crushing  burdens,  and  will  give  him 
strength  to  bear  and  profit  by  them,  even  if  He  does 
not  take  them  away. 

The  psalm  passes  before  us  a  series  of  pictures,  all 
alike  in  the  disposition  of  their  parts,  and  selected  from 
the  sad  abundance  of  troubles  which  attack  humanity. 
Travellers  who  have  lost  their  way,  captives,  sick  men, 
storm-tossed  sailors,  make  a  strangely  miscellaneous 
company,  the  very  unlikenesses  of  which  suggest  the 
width  of  the  ocean  of  human  misery.  The  artistic 
regularity  of  structure  in  all  the  four  strophes  relating 
to  these  cannot  escape  notice.  But  it  is  more  than 
artistic.  Whatever  be  a  man's  trouble^  there  is  but  one 
way  out  of  it — to  cry  to  God.  That  way  is  never  vain. 
Always  deliverance  comes,  and  always  the  obligation  of 
praise  lies  on  the  "redeemed  of  Jehovah." 

With  ver.  33  the  psalm  changes  its  structure.  The 
refrains,  which  came  in  so  strikingly  in  the  preceding 
strophes,  are  dropped.  The  complete  pictures  give 
place  to  mere  outline  sketches.  These  diversities  have 
suggested  to  some  that  vv.  33-43  are  an  excrescence; 


cvii.J  THE  PSALMS  159 


but  they  have  some  points  of  connection  with  the  pre- 
ceding, such  as  the  pecuhar  phrase  for  "  inhabited  city  " 
(vv.  4,  5,  36),  "hungry"  (vv.  5,  36),  and  the  fondness 
for  references  to  Isaiah  and  Job.  In  these  latter  verses 
the  psalmist  does  not  describe  deliverances  from  peril 
or  pain,  but  the  sudden  alternations  effected  by  Pro- 
vidence on  lands  and  men,  which  pass  from  fertility 
and  prosperity  to  barrenness  and  trouble,  and  again 
from  these  to  their  opposites.  Loving-kindness,  which 
hears  and  rescues,  is  the  theme  of  the  first  part ;  loving- 
kindness,  which  "changes  all  things  and  is  itself  un- 
changed," is  the  theme  of  the  second.  Both  converge 
on  the  final  thought  (ver.  43),  that  the  observance  of 
God's  ways  is  the  part  of  true  wisdom,  and  will  win 
the  clear  perception  of  the  all-embracing  "  loving-kind- 
ness of  Jehovah." 

New  mercies  give  new  meaning  to  old  praises.  Fresh 
outpourings  of  thankfulness  willingly  run  in  well-worn 
channels.  The  children  can  repeat  the  fathers'  doxology, 
and  words  hallowed  by  having  borne  the  gratitude  of 
many  generations  are  the  best  vehicles  for  to-day's 
praise.  Therefore,  the  psalm  begins  with  venerable 
words,  which  it  bids  the  recipients  of  God's  last  great 
mercy  ring  out  once  more.  They  who  have  yesterday 
been  "redeemed  from  captivity"  have  proof  that  "His 
loving-kindness  endures  for  ever,"  since  it  has  come 
down  to  them  through  centuries.  The  characteristic 
fondness  for  quotations,  which  marks  the  psalm,  is  in 
full  force  in  the  three  introductory  verses.  Ver.  i  is, 
of  course,  quoted  from  several  psalms.  "  The  redeemed 
of  Jehovah  "  is  from  Isa.  Ixii.  12.  "  Gathered  out  of  the 
lands  "  looks  back  to  Psalm  cvi.  47,  and  to  many  pro- 
phetic passages.  The  word  rendered  above  "  distress  " 
may  mean  oppressor,  and  is  frequently  rendered  so  here, 


i6o  THE  PSALMS 


which  rendering  fits  better  the  preceding  word  "  hand." 
But  the  recurrence  of  the  same  word  in  the  subsequent 
refrains  (vv.  6,  13,  19,  28)  makes  the  rendering  distress 
preferable  here.  To  ascribe  to  distress  a  "  hand  "  is 
poetical  personification,  or  the  latter  word  may  be  taken 
in  a  somewhat  wider  sense  as  equivalent  to  a  grasp  or 
grip,  as  above.  The  return  from  Babylon  is  evidently 
in  the  poet's  thoughts,  but  he  widens  it  out  into  a  restora- 
tion from  every  quarter.  His  enumeration  of  the  points 
from  which  the  exiles  flock  is  irregular,  in  that  he  says 
"from  north  and  from  the s<'a,"  which  always  means  the 
Mediterranean,  and  stands  for  the  west.  That  quarter 
has,  however,  already  been  mentioned,  and,  therefore, 
it  has  been  supposed  that  sea  here  means,  abnormally, 
the  Red  Sea,  or  "  the  southern  portion  of  the  Mediter- 
ranean." A  textual  alteration  has  also  been  proposed, 
which,  by  the  addition  of  two  letters  to  the  word  for 
setty  gives  that  for  south.  This  reading  would  complete 
the  enumeration  of  cardinal  points ;  but  possibly  the 
psalmist  is  quoting  Isa.  xlix.  12,  where  the  same  phrase 
occurs,  and  the  north  is  set  over  against  the  sea — i.e.,  the 
west.  The  slight  irregularity  does  not  interfere  with 
the  picture  of  the  streams  of  returning  exiles  from 
every  quarter. 

The  first  scene,  that  of  a  caravan  lost  in  a  desert,  is 
probably  suggested  by  the  previous  reference  to  the 
return  of  the  "redeemed  of  Jehovah,"  but  is  not  to  be 
taken  as  referring  only  to  that.  It  is  a  perfectly 
general  sketch  of  a  frequent  incident  of  travel.  It  is 
a  remarkable  trace  of  a  state  of  society  very  unlike 
modern  life,  that  two  of  the  four  instances  of  "  dis- 
tress "  are  due  to  the  perils  of  journeying.  By  land 
and  by  sea  men  took  their  lives  in  their  hands,  when 
they    left    their    homes.      Two    points    are    signalised 


cvii.]  THE  PSALMS  i6i 


in  this  description, — the  first,  the  loss  of  the  track ; 
the  second,  the  wanderers'  hunger  and  thirst.  "A 
waste  of  a  way  "  is  a  singular  expression,  which  has 
suggested  various  unnecessary  textual  emendations. 
It  is  like  "a  wild  ass  of  a  man  "  (Gen.  x\i.  12),  which 
several  commentators  quote  as  a  parallel,  and  means  a 
way  which  is  desert  (compare  Acts  viii.  26).  The 
bewildered,  devious  march  leads  nowhither.  Vainly 
the  travellers  look  for  some  elevation, 

"  From  whence  the  lightened  spirit  sees 
That  shady  city  of  Palm  Trees." 

No  place  where  men  dwell  appears  in  the  wide  expanse 
of  pathless  wilderness.  The  psalmist  does  not  think 
of  a  particular  city,  but  of  any  inhabited  spot,  where 
rest  and  shelter  might  be  found.  The  water-skins  are 
empty ;  food  is  finished ;  hopelessness  follows  ph3'sical 
exhaustion,  and  gloom  wraps  their  souls ;  for  ver.  5  b, 
literally  translated,  is,  "Their  soul  covered  itself" — i.e., 
with  despondency  (Psalm  Ixxvii.  3). 

The  picture  is  not  an  allegory  or  a  parable,  but  a 
transcript  of  a  common  fact.  Still,  one  can  scarcely  help 
seeing  in  it  a  vivid  representation  of  the  inmost  reality 
of  a  life  apart  from  God.  Such  a  life  ever  strays  from 
the  right  road.  "  The  labour  of  the  foolish  wearieth 
every  one  of  them,  because  he  knoweth  not  how  to 
come  to  the  city."  The  deepest  needs  of  the  soul  are 
unsatisfied  ;  and  however  outward  good  abounds,  gnaw- 
ing hunger  and  fierce  thirst  torment  at  times ;  and 
however  mirth  and  success  seem  to  smile,  joys  are 
superficial,  and  but  mask  a  central  sadness,  as  vine- 
yards which  clothe  the  outside  of  a  volcano  and  lie 
above  sulphurous  fires. 

The  travellers  are  driven  to  God  by  their  "  distress." 
Happy  they  who,  when  lost  in  a  desert,  bethink  them- 

VOL.   Ill,  II 


i62  THE  PSALMS 


selves  of  the  only  Guide.  He  does  not  reject  the  cry 
which  is  forced  out  by  the  pressure  of  calamity ;  but,  as 
the  structure  of  vv.  6,  7,  shows,  His  answer  is  simul- 
taneous with  the  appeal  to  Him,  and  it  is  complete,  as 
well  as  immediate.  The  track  appears  as  suddenly  as 
it  had  faded.  God  Himself  goes  at  the  head  of  the 
march.  The  path  is  straight  as  an  arrow's  flight,  and 
soon  they  are  in  the  city. 

Ver.  6  is  the  first  instance  of  the  refi-ain,  which,  in 
each  of  the  four  pictures,  is  followed  by  a  verse  (or,  in 
the  last  of  the  four,  by  two  verses)  descriptive  of  the  act 
of  deliverance,  which  again  is  followed  by  the  second 
refrain,  calling  on  those  who  have  experienced  such  a 
mercy  to  thank  Jehovah.  This  is  followed  in  the  first 
two  groups  by  a  verse  reiterating  the  reason  for  praise — 
namely,  the  deliverance  just  granted ;  and,  in  the  last 
two,  by  a  verse  expanding  the  summons.  Various  may 
be  the  forms  of  need.  But  the  supply  of  them  all  is  one, 
and  the  way  to  get  it  is  one,  and  one  is  the  experience 
of  the  suppliants,  and  one  should  be  their  praise.  Life's 
diversities  have  underlying  them  identity  of  soul's 
wants.  Waiters  on  God  have  very  different  outward 
fortunes,  but  the  broad  outlines  of  their  inward  history 
are  identical.  This  is  the  law  of  His  providence — they 
cry.  He  delivers.  This  should  be  the  harvest  from  His 
sowing  of  benefits — "  Let  them  give  thanks  to  Jehovah." 
Some  would  translate  ver.  8,  "  Let  them  thankfully 
confess  to  Jehovah  His  loving-kindness,  and  to  the 
children  of  men  [confess]  His  wonders  "  ;  but  the  usual 
rendering  as  above  is  better,  as  not  introducing  a 
thought  which,  however  important,  is  scarcely  in  the 
psalmist's  view  here,  and  as  preserving  the  great 
thought  of  the  psalm — namely,  that  of  God's  providence 
to  all  mankind. 


cvii.]  THE  PSALMS  163 

The  second  scene,  that  of  captives,  probably  retains 
some  allusion  to  Babylon,  though  an  even  fainter  one 
than  in  the  preceding  strophe.  It  has  several  quota- 
tions and  references  to  Isaiah,  especially  to  the  latter 
half  (Isa.  xl.-lxvi.).  The  deliverance  is  described  in 
ver.  16  in  words  borrowed  from  the  prophecy  as 
to  Cyrus,  the  instrument  of  Israel's  restoration  (Isa. 
xlv.  2).  The  gloom  of  the  prison-house  is  described 
in  language  closely  resembling  Isa,  xlii.  7,  xlix.  9. 
The  combination  of  "  darkness  and  the  shade  of 
deepest  gloom "  is  found  in  Isa.  ix.  2.  The  cause  of 
the  captivity  described  is  rebellion  against  God's 
counsel  and  word.  These  things  point  to  Israel's 
Babylonian  bondage ;  but  the  picture  in  the  psalm 
draws  its  colour  rather  than  its  subject  from  that 
event,  and  is  quite  general.  The  psalmist  thinks  that 
such  bondage,  and  deliverance  on  repentance  and 
prayer,  are  standing  facts  in  Providence,  both  as 
regards  nations  and  individuals.  One  may  see,  too,  a 
certain  paraboHc  aspect  hinted  at,  as  if  the  poet  would 
have  us  catch  a  half-revealed  intention  to  present 
calamity  of  any  kind  under  this  image  of  captivity. 
We  note  the  slipping  in  of  words  that  are  not  required 
for  the  picture,  as  when  the  fetters  are  said  to  be 
"affliction"  as  well  as  "iron."  Ver.  12,  too,  is  not 
specially  appropriate  to  the  condition  of  prisoners ; 
persons  in  fetters  and  gloom  do  not  stumble^  for  they 
do  not  move.  There  may,  therefore,  be  a  half-glance 
at  the  parabolic  aspect  of  captivity,  such  as  poetic 
imagination,  and  especially  Oriental  poetry,  loves.  At 
most  it  is  a  delicate  suggestion,  sh^^ly  hiding  while  it 
shows  itself,  and  made  too  much  of  if  drawn  out  in 
prosaic  exposition. 

We  may  perceive  also  the  allegorical  pertinence  of 


1 64  THE  PSALMS 


this  second  picture,  though  we  do  not  suppose  that  the 
singer  intended  such  a  use.  For  is  not  godless  Hfe 
ever  bondage  ?  and  is  not  rebellion  against  God  the 
sure  cause  of  falling  under  a  harsher  dominion  ?  and 
does  He  not  listen  to  the  cry  of  a  soul  that  feels  the 
slavery  of  subjection  to  self  and  sin  ?  and  is  not  true 
enlargement  found  in  His  free  service  ?  and  does  He 
not  give  power  to  break  the  strongest  chains  of  habit  ? 
The  synagogue  at  Nazareth,  where  the  carpenter's 
Son  stood  up  to  read  and  found  the  place  where  it  was 
written,  "  The  Spirit  of  the  Lord  is  upon  Me.  .  .  .  He 
hath  sent  Me  to  proclaim  liberty  to  the  captives,"  war- 
rants the  symbolical  use  of  the  psalmist's  imagery, 
which  is,  as  we  have  seen,  largely  influenced  by  the 
prophet  whose  words  Jesus  quoted.  The  first  scene 
taught  that  devout  hearts  never  lack  guidance  from 
God.  The  second  adds  to  their  blessings  freedom,  the 
true  liberty  which  comes  with  submission  and  accept- 
ance of  His  law. 

Sickness,  which  yields  the  third  type  of  suffering,  is 
a  commoner  experience  than  the  two  preceding.  The 
picture  is  lightly  sketched,  emphasis  being  laid  on  the 
cause  of  the  sickness,  which  is  sin,  in  accordance  with 
the  prevailing  view  in  the  Old  Testament.  The  psalmist 
introduces  the  persons  of  whom  he  is  to  speak  by 
the  strongly  condemnatory  term  "  foolish  ones,"  which 
refers  not  to  intellectual  feebleness,  but  to  moral  per- 
versity. All  sin  is  folly.  Nothing  is  so  insane  as  to 
do  wrong.  An  ingenious  correction  has  been  suggested, 
and  is  accepted  by  Cheyne  in  the  wake  of  Dyserinck, 
Graetz,  and  others,  by  which  "  sick  men  "  is  read  for 
"  foolish  men."  But  it  does  not  appear  to  the  present 
writer  to  be  so  impossible  as  Cheyne  thinks  to 
"  conceive  the  psalmist  introducing  a  fresh  tableau  by 


cvii.]  THE  PSALMS  165 


an  ethical  term  such  as  fools."  The  whole  verse  (17) 
lays  more  stress  on  the  sin  than  on  the  sickness,  and 
the  initial  designation  of  the  sufferers  as  "  fools  "  is 
quite  in  harmony  with  its  tone.  They  are  habitual 
evil-doers,  as  is  expressed  by  the  weighty  expression 
"  the  way  (or  course)  of  their  transgression."  Not  by 
one  or  two  breaches  of  moral  law,  but  by  inveterate, 
customary  sins,  men  ruin  their  physical  h_alth.  So 
the  psalmist  uses  a  form  of  the  verb  in  ver.  \y  b  which 
expresses  that  the  sinner  drags  down  his  punish- 
ment with  his  own  hands.  That  is,  of  course,  eminently 
true  in  such  gross  forms  of  sin  as  sow  to  the  flesh,  and 
of  the  flesh  reap  corruption.  But  it  is  no  less  really 
true  of  all  transgression,  since  all  brings  sickness  to 
the  soul.  Ver.  18  is  apparently  quoted  from  Job  xxxiii. 
20-22.  It  paints  with  impressive  simplicity  the  failing 
appetite  and  consequent  ebbing  strength.  The  grim 
portals,  of  which  Death  keeps  the  keys,  have  all  but 
received  the  sick  men ;  but,  before  they  pass  into  their 
shadow,  they  cry  to  Jehovah,  and,  like  the  other  men 
in  distress,  they  too  are  heard,  feeble  as  their  sick  voice 
may  be.  The  manner  of  their  deliverance  is  strikingly 
portrayed.  "  He  sent  His  word  and  healed  them." 
As  in  Psalm  cv.  19,  God's  word  is  almost  personified. 
It  is  the  channel  of  the  Divine  power.  God's  uttered 
will  has  power  on  material  things.  It  is  the  same  great 
thought  as  is  expressed  in  "  He  spake  and  it  was 
done."  The  psalmist  did  not  know  the  Christian 
teaching  that  the  personal  Word  of  God  is  the  agent 
of  all  the  Divine  energy  in  the  realm  of  nature  and  of 
history,  and  that  a  far  deeper  sense  than  that  which  he 
attached  to  them  would  one  day  be  found  in  his  words, 
when  the  Incarnate  Word  was  manifested,  as  Himself 
bearing  and  bearing  away  the  sicknesses  of  humanity, 


i66  THE  PSALMS 


and  rescuing  not  only  the  dying  from  going  down  to 
the  grave,  but  bringing  up  the  dead  who  had  long  lain 
there.  God,  who  is  Guide  and  Emancipator,  is  also 
Healer  and  Life-giver,  and  He  is  all  these  in  the  Word, 
which  has  become  flesh,  and  dwelt  and  dwells  among 
men. 

Another  travel-scene  follows.  The  storm  at  sea  is 
painted  as  a  landsman  would  do  it ;  but  a  landsman 
who  had  seen,  from  a  safe  shore,  what  he  so  vividl}^ 
describes.  He  is  impressed  with  the  strange  things 
that  the  bold  men  who  venture  to  sea  must  meet,  away 
out  there  beyond  the  point  where  sea  and  sky  touch. 
With  sure  poetic  instinct,  he  spends  no  time  on  trivial 
details,  but  dashes  on  his  canvas  the  salient  features 
of  the  tempest,^ — the  sudden  springing  up  of  the  gale ; 
the  swift  response  of  the  waves  rolling  high,  with  new 
force  in  their  mass  and  a  new  voice  in  their  breaking ; 
the  pitching  craft,  now  on  the  crest,  now  in  the  trough ; 
the  terror  of  the  helpless  crew ;  the  loss  of  steering 
power ;  the  heavy  rolhng  of  the  unmanageable,  clumsy 
ship ;  and  the  desperation  of  the  sailors,  whose  wisdom 
or  skill  was  **  swallowed  up,"  or  came  to  nothing. 

Their  cry  to  Jehovah  was  heard  above  the  shriek  of 
the  storm,  and  the  tempest  fell  as  suddenly  as  it  rose. 
The  description  of  the  deliverance  is  extended  beyond 
the  normal  single  verse,  just  as  that  of  the  peril  had 
been  prolonged.  It  comes  like  a  benediction  after  the 
hurly-burly  of  the  gale.  How  gently  the  words  echo 
the  softness  of  the  light  air  into  which  it  has  died 
down,  and  the  music  which  the  wavelets  make  as  they 
lap  against  the  ship's  sides  !  With  what  sympathy  the 
poet  thinks  of  the  glad  hearts  on  board,  and  of  their 
reaching  the  safe  harbour,  for  which  they  had  longed 
when    they    thought   they  would    never  see  it   more  I 


THE  PSALMS  167 


Surely  it  is  a  permissible  application  of  these  lovely 
words  to  read  into  them  the  Christian  hope  of  preserva- 
tion amid  life's  tempests, — 

"  Safe  into  the  haven  guide, 
O  receive  my  soul  at  last." 

God  the  guide,  the  emancipator,  the  healer,  is  also  the 
stiller  of  the  storm,  and  they  who  cry  to  Him  from  the 
unquiet  sea  will  reach  the  stable  shore.  "  And  so  it 
came  to  pass,  they  all  came  safe  to  land." 

As  already  observed,  the  tone  changes  with  ver.  33, 
from  which  point  onwards  the  psalmist  adduces  in- 
stances of  Providential  working  of  a  different  kind  from 
those  in  the  four  vivid  pictures  preceding,  and  drops 
the  refrains.  In  vv.  33-38  he  describes  a  double 
change  wrought  on  a  land.  The  barrenness  which 
blasts  fertile  soil  is  painted  in  language  largely  bor- 
rowed from  Isaiah.  "Ver.  33  a  recalls  Isa.  \.  2  b  ]  ver. 
33  ^  is  like  Isa.  xxxv.  7a"  (Delitzsch).  The  opposite 
change  of  desert  into  fertile  ground  is  pictured  as  in 
Isa.  xli.  18.  The  references  in  ver.  36  to  "  the  hungry  " 
and  to  "  an  inhabited  city  "  connect  with  the  previous 
part  of  the  psalm,  and  are  against  the  supposition  that 
the  latter  half  is  not  originally  part  of  it.  The  incidents 
described  refer  to  no  particular  instance,  but  are  as 
general  as  those  of  the  former  part.  Many  a  land, 
which  has  been  blasted  by  the  vices  of  its  inhabitants, 
has  been  transformed  into  a  garden  by  new  settlers. 
"  Where  the  Turks'  horse  has  trod,  no  grass  will 
grow." 

Ver.  39  introduces  the  reverse,  which  often  befalls 
prosperous  communities,  especially  in  times  when  it  is 
dangerous  to  seem  rich  for  fear  of  rapacious  rulers. 
"The  pressure  "  referred  to  in  ver.  39  is  the  oppression 
of  such.     If  so,  ver.  40,  which  is  quoted  from  Job  xii. 


i68  THE  PSALMS 


21,  24,  though  introduced  abruptly,  does  not  disturb 
the  sequence  of  thought.  It  grandl}'  paints  the  judg- 
ment of  God  on  such  robber-princes,  who  are  hunted 
from  their  seats  by  popular  execration,  and  have  to 
hide  themselves  in  the  pathless  waste,  from  which 
those  who  cry  to  God  were  delivered  (vv.  41  h  and 
4rt).  On  the  other  hand,  the  oppressed  are  lifted,  as 
by  His  strong  arm,  dut  of  the  depths  and  set  on  high, 
like  a  man  perched  safely  on  some  crag  above  high- 
water  mark.  Prosperity  returning  is  followed  by  large 
increase  and  happy,  peaceful  family  life,  the  chief  good 
of  man  on  earth.  The  outcome  of  the  various  methods 
of  God's  unvarying  purpose  is  that  all  which  is  good 
is  glad,  and  all  which  is  evil  is  struck  dumb.  The 
two  clauses  of  ver.  42,  which  describe  this  double 
effect,  are  quoted  from  two  passages  in  Job — a  from 
xxii.    19,  and  b  from  v.    16. 

The  psalm  began  with  hymning  the  enduring  loving- 
kindness  of  Jehovah.  It  ends  with  a  call  to  all  who 
would  be  wise  to  give  heed  to  the  various  dealings  of 
God,  as  exemplified  in  the  specimens  chosen  in  it, 
that  they  may  comprehend  how  in  all  these  one 
purpose  rules,  and  all  are  examples  of  the  manifold 
loving-kindnesses  of  Jehovah.  This  closing  note  is  an 
echo  of  the  last  words  of  Hosea's  prophecy.  It  is  the 
broad  truth  which  all  thoughtful  observance  of  Provi- 
dence brings  home  to  a  man,  notwithstanding  many 
mysteries  and  apparent  contradictions.  "All  things 
work  together  for  good  to  them  that  love  God " ;  and 
the  more  they  love  Ilim,  the  more  clearly  will  they  see, 
and  the  more  happily  will  they  feel,  that  so  it  is.  How 
can  a  man  contemplate  the  painful  riddle  of  the  world, 
and  keep  his  sanity,  without  that  faith  ?  He  who  has 
it  for  his  faith  will  have  it  for  his  experience. 


PSALM   CVIII. 

1  Steadfast  is  my  heart,  O  God, 

I  will  sing  and  harp,  yea,  my  glory  [shall  sing], 

2  Awake,  harp  and  lute, 
I  will  wake  the  dawn. 

3  I  will  give  Thee  thanks  among  the  peoples,  Jehovah, 
And  I  will  harp  to  Thee  among  the  nations, 

4  For  great  above  the  heavens  is  Thy  loving-kindness, 
And  to  the  clouds  Thj^  troth. 

5  Exalt  Th3'self  above  the  heavens,  O  God, 
And  above  all  the  earth  Thy  glory. 

6  That  Thy  beloved  ones  may  be  delivered, 
Save  with  Thy  right  hand  and  answer  me. 

7  God  has  spoken  in  His  holiness, 

I  will  divide  Shechem  and  measure  out  the  valley  o(  Succoth, 

8  Mine  is  Gilead,  mine  Manasseh, 

And  Ephraim  is  the  strength  of  my  head, 
Judah  my  baton  of  command. 

9  Moab  is  my  wash-basin, 

Upon  Edom  will  I  throw  my  shoe, 
Over  Philistia  will  I  shout  aloud. 

10  Who  will  bring  me  into  the  fortified  city? 
Who  has  guided  me  into  Edom  ? 

1 1  Hast  not  Thou,  O  God,  cast  us  off, 

And  goest  not  out,  O  God,  with  our  hosts  ? 

12  Give  us  help  from  trouble, 
For  vain  is  help  of  man. 

13  In  God  we  shall  do  prowess. 

And  He,  He  will  tread  down  our  oppressors. 

TWO  fragments  of  Davidic  psalms  are  here  tacked 
together  with  sHght  variations,     Vv,  1-5  are  from 
Psalm  Ivii.  7-1 1;  and  vv.  6-13  from   Psalm  Ix.  5-12, 

169 


170  THE  PSALMS 


The  return  from  Babylon  would  be  an  appropriate 
occasion  for  thus  revivifying  ancient  words.  We  have 
seen  in  preceding  psalms  that  Israel's  past  drew  the 
thoughts  of  the  singers  of  that  period,  and  the  con- 
jecture may  be  hazarded  that  the  recent  deliverance 
suggested  to  some  devout  man,  whose  mind  was  steeped 
in  the  songs  of  former  days,  the  closeness  with  which 
old  strains  suited  new  joys.  If  so,  there  is  pathetic 
meaning  in  the  summons  to  the  "  psaltery  and  harp," 
which  had  hung  silent  on  the  willows  of  Babylon  so 
long,  to  wake  their  ancient  minstrelsy  once  more,  as 
well  as  exultant  confidence  that  the  God  who  had  led 
David  to  victory  still  leads  His  people.  The  hopes  of 
conquest  in  the  second  part,  the  consciousness  that 
while  much  has  been  achieved  by  God's  help,  much 
still  remains  to  be  won  before  Israel  can  sit  "secure,  the 
bar  or  two  in  the  minor  key  in  ver.  ii,  which  heighten 
the  exultation  of  the  rest  of  the  song,  and  the  cry  for 
help  against  adversaries  too  strong  for  Israel's  un- 
assisted might,  are  all  appropriate  to  the  early  stages 
of  the  return. 

The  variations  from  the  original  psalms  are  of  slight 
moment.  In  ver.  i  the  reduplication  of  the  clause 
"  Steadfast  is  my  heart  "  is  omitted,  and  "  my  glory  " 
is  detached  from  ver.  2,  where  it  stands  in  Psalm  Ivii., 
and  is  made  a  second  subject,  equivalent  to  "  I."  In 
ver.  3  a  Jehovah  is  substituted  for  Lord^  and  the  copula 
"  and  "  prefixed  to  b.  Ver.  4  is  not  improved  by  the 
change  of  "  unto  the  heavens  "  to  "  above  the  heavens," 
for  an  anti-climax  is  produced  by  following  "  above  the 
heavens  "  with  "  unto  the  clouds," 

In  the  second  part,  the  only  change  affecting  the 
.sense  is  in  ver.  9,  where  the  summons  to  Philistia  to 
"  shout  aloud  because  of  me,"  which  is  probably  meant 


cviii.]  THE  PSALMS  171 

in  sarcasm,  is  transformed  into  the  plain  expression  of 
triumph,  "  Over  Philistia  will  I  shout  aloud."  The 
other  changes  are  "  me  "  for  "  us  "  in  ver.  6,  the  omission 
of  "  and  "  before  "  mine  Manasseh  "  in  ver.  8,  the  sub- 
stitution of  a  more  usual  synonym  for  ''  fenced  "  in 
ver.  10,  and  the  omission  of  the  pronoun  "  Thou  "  in 
ver.  1 1 . 


PSALM    CIX. 

1  God  of  my  praise,  be  not  silent, 

2  For  a  wicked  man's  mouth  and  a  mouth  of  deceit   have  they 

opened  on  me. 

3  And  with  words  of  hate  have  they  compassed  me, 
And  have  fought  [against]  me  causelessly. 

4  In  return  for  my  love,  they  have  been  my  adversaries. 
But  I — I  was  [all]  prayer. 

5  And  they  have  laid  upon  me  evil  in  return  for  good, 
And  hate  in  return  for  my  love. 

6  Set  in  office  over  him  a  wicked  man, 

And  may  an  adversary  stand  at  his  right  hand  ! 

7  When  he  is  judged,  let  him  go  out  guilty, 
And  let  his  prayer  be  [counted]  for  sin  ! 

8  Be  his  days  few, 

His  office  may  another  take  ! 

9  Be  his  children  orphans. 
And  his  wife  a  widow  ! 

10  And  may  his  children  wander  up  and  down  and  beg, 

May  they  seek  [bread]  [far]  from  the  ruins  [of  their  house]  ! 

11  May  a  creditor  get  into  his  nets  all  that  he  has, 
And  may  strangers  plunder  [the  fruit  of]  his  toil ! 

12  May  there  be  no  one  to  continue  loving-kindness  to  him, 
And  may  there  be  no  one  that  shows  favour  to  his  orphans  ! 

13  May  his  posterity  be  cut  off, 

In  the  next  generation  may  their  name  be  blotted  out  I 

14  Let  the  iniquity  of  his  fathers  be  remembered  before  Jehovah, 
And  the  sin  of  his  mother  not  be  blotted  out  ! 

15  May  they  be  before  Jehovah  continually. 

And  may  He  cut  off  their  memory  from  the  earth  ! 

16  Because  he  remembered  not  to  show  loving-kindness, 
And  persecuted  the  afflicted  and  poor  man. 

And  the  heart-stricken,  to  do  him  to  death. 
172 


cix.]  THE  PSALMS  173 

17  And  he  loved  cursing — and  it  came  on  him, 

And  delighted  not  in  blessing — and  it  remained  far  from  him. 

18  And  he  clothed  himself  [with]  cursing  like  his  garment, 
And  it  came  like  water  into  his  inwards. 

And  like  oil  into  his  bones. 

19  May  it  be  to  him  like  a  robe  [with  which]  he  covers  himself, 
And  for  a  girdle  [which]  he  continually  girds  on  ! 

20  Be  this  the  wage  of  my  adversaries  from  Jehovah, 
And  of  those  who  speak  evil  against  my  soul ! 

21  But  Thou,  Jehovah,  Lord,  deal  with  me  for  Thy  name's  sake. 
Because  Thj'  loving-kindness  is  good,  deliver  me, 

22  Because  afflicted  and  poor  am  I, 
And  my  heart  is  pierced  within  me. 

23  Like  a  shadow  when  it  stretches  out  am  I  gone, 
I  am  shaken  out,  like  the  locust. 

24  My  knees  give  out  through  fasting, 
And  my  flesh  falls  away  from  fatness. 

25  And  I — I  have  become  a  reproach  to  them, 
They  see  me,  they  nod  their  head. 

26  Help  me,  Jehovah,  mj'  God, 

Save  me,  according  to  Thy  loving-kindness: 

27  That  they  may  know  that  this  is  Thy  hand, 
Thou — Thou,  Jehovah,  hast  done  it. 

28  They — they  curse,  but  Thou — Thou  dost  bless; 
They  arose,  and  were  put  to  shame, 

And  Thy  servant  rejoices. 

29  My  adversaries  clothe  themselves  [with]  disgrace. 
And  cover  themselves  like  a  mantle  with  their  shame. 

30  I  will  praise  Jehovah  greatly  with  my  mouth, 
And  amidst  many  will  I  praise  Him. 

31  For  He  stands  at  the  right  hand  of  the  poor, 
To  save  him  from  those  that  judge  his  soul. 

THIS  is  the  last  and  the  most  terrible  of  the 
imprecatory  psalms.  Its  central  portion  (vv.  6-20) 
consists  of  a  series  of  wishes,  addressed  to  God,  for 
the  heaping  of  all  miseries  on  the  heads  of  one 
"  adversary "  and  of  all  his  kith  and  kin.  These 
maledictions  are  enclosed  in  prayers,  which  make  the 
most  striking  contrast  to  them  ;  vv.  1-5  being  the  plaint 
of  a  loving  soul,  shrinkingly  conscious  of  an  atmosphere 


174  THE  PSALMS 


of  hatred,  and  appealing  gently  to  God  ;  while  vv.  21-31 
expatiate  in  the  presentation  to  Him  of  the  suppliant's 
feebleness  and  cries  for  deliverance,  but  barely  touch 
on  the  wished-for  requital  of  enemies.  The  combina- 
tion of  devout  meekness  and  trust  with  the  fiery 
imprecations  in  the  core  of  the  psalm  is  startling  to 
Christian  consciousness,  and  calls  for  an  effort  of 
"  historical  imagination  "  to  deal  with  it  fairly.  The 
attempts  to  attenuate  the  difficulty,  either  by  making 
out  that  the  wishes  are  not  wishes,  but  prophecies  of 
the  fate  of  evil-doers,  or  that  vv,  6-20  are  the  psalmist's 
quotation  of  his  enemies'  wishes  about  him,  or  that 
the  whole  is  Messianic  prediction  of  the  fate  of  Judas 
or  of  the  enemies  of  the  Christ,  are  too  obviously 
makeshifts.  It  is  far  better  to  recognise  the  discord- 
ance between  the  temper  of  the  psalmist  and  that 
enjoined  by  Christ  than  to  try  to  cover  it  over.  Our 
Lord  Himself  has  signalised  the  difference  between 
His  teaching  and  that  addressed  to  "them  of  old  time" 
on  the  very  point  of  forgiveness  of  enemies,  and  we 
are  but  following  His  guidance  when  we  recognise  that 
the  psalmist's  mood  is  distinctly  inferior  to  that  which 
has  now  become  the  law  for  devout  men. 

Divine  retribution  for  evil  was  the  truth  of  the  Old 
Testament,  as  forgiveness  is  that  of  the  New.  The 
conflict  between  God's  kingdom  and  its  enemies  was 
being  keenly  and  perpetually  waged,  in  most  literal 
fashion.  Devout  men  could  not  but  long  for  the 
triumph  of  that  with  which  all  good  was  associated, 
and  therefore  for  the  defeat  and  destruction  of  its 
opposite.  For  no  private  injuries,  or  for  these  only 
in  so  far  as  the  suffering  singer  is  a  member  of  the  com- 
munity which  represents  God's  cause,  does  he  ask  the 
descent  of  God's  vengeance,  but  for  the  insults  and  hurts 


cix.]  THE  PSALMS  175 

inflicted  on  righteousness.  The  form  of  these  maledic- 
tions belongs  to  a  lower  stage  of  revelation ;  the  substance 
of  them,  considered  as  passionate  desires  for  the  destruc- 
tion of  evil,  burning  zeal  for  the  triumph  of  Truth, 
which  is  God's  cause,  and  unquenchable  faith  that  He 
is  just,  is  a  part  of  Christian  perfection. 

The  usual  variety  of  conjectures  as  to  authorship 
exists.  Delitzsch  hesitatingly  accepts  the  superscrip- 
tion as  correct  in  assigning  the  psalm  to  David. 
Olshausen,  as  is  his  custom,  says,  "  Maccabean " ; 
Cheyne  inclines  to  "  the  time  of  Nehemiah  (in  which 
case  the  enemy  might  be  Sanballat),  or  even  perhaps  the 
close  of  the  Persian  age  "  ("  Orig.  of  Psalt.,"  65).  He 
thinks  that  the  "  magnanimous  David  "  could  not  have 
uttered  **  these  laboured  imprecations,"  and  that  the 
speaker  is  "  not  a  brave  and  bold  warrior,  but  a 
sensitive  poet."     Might  he  not  be  both  ? 

To  address  God  as  the  "God  of  my  praise,"  even 
at  such  a  moment  of  dejection,  is  a  triumph  of  faith. 
The  name  recalls  to  the  psalmist  past  mercies,  and 
expresses  his  confidence  that  he  will  still  have  cause 
to  extol  his  Deliverer,  while  it  also  pleads  with  God 
what  He  has  done  as  a  reason  for  doing  the  like  in 
new  circumstances  of  need.  The  suppliant  speaks  in 
praise  and  prayer ;  he  asks  God  to  speak  in  acts  of 
rescuing  power.  A  praying  man  cannot  have  a  dumb 
God.  And  His  mighty  Voice,  which  hushes  all  others 
and  sets  His  suppliants  free  from  fears  and  foes,  is 
all  the  more  longed  for  and  required,  because  of  those 
cruel  voices  that  yelp  and  snarl  round  the  psalmist. 
The  contrast  between  the  three  utterances — his,  God's, 
and  his  enemies' — is  most  vivid.  The  foes  have  come  at 
him  with  open  mouths.  "  A  wicked  man's  mouth " 
would  read,  by  a  slight  alteration,  "a  mouth  of  wicked- 


176  THE  PSALMS 


ness  "  ;  but  the  recurrence  of  the  word  "  wicked  man  " 
in  ver.  6  seems  to  look  back  to  this  verse,  and  to 
make  the  rendering  above  probable.  Lies  and  hatred 
ring  the  psalmist  round,  but  his  conscience  is  clear. 
"  They  have  hated  me  without  a  cause  "  is  the  expe- 
rience of  this  ancient  sufferer  for  righteousness'  sake, 
as  of  the  Prince  of  all  such.  This  singer,  who  is  charged 
with  pouring  out  a  flood  of  "  unpurified  passion,"  had, 
at  any  rate,  striven  to  win  over  hatred  by  meekness  ; 
and  if  he  is  bitter,  it  is  the  pain  and  bitterness  of 
love  flung  back  with  contumely,  and  only  serving  to 
exacerbate  enmity.  Nor  had  he  met  with  evil  the  first 
returns  of  evil  for  good,  but,  as  he  says,  "  I  was 
[all]  pra3'er  "  (compare  Psalm  cxx.  7,  "  I  am — peace  "). 
Repelled,  his  whole  being  turned  to  God,  and  in  calm 
communion  with  Him  found  defence  and  repose.  But 
his  patient  meekness  availed  nothing,  for  his  foes  still 
"laid  evil"  on  him  in  return  for  good.  The  prayer 
is  a  short  record  of  a  long  martyrdom.  Many  a  foiled 
attempt  of  patient  love  preceded  the  psalm.  Not  till 
the  other  way  had  been  tried  long  enough  to  show 
that  malignity  was  be3^ond  the  reach  of  conciliation 
did  the  psalmist  appeal  to  the  God  of  recompenses. 
Let  that  be  remembered  in  judging  the  next  part  of 
the  psalm. 

The  terrible  maledictions  (vv.  6-20)  need  little  com- 
mentary. They  may  be  left  in  all  their  awlulness, 
which  is  neither  to  be  extenuated  nor  degraded  into 
an  outburst  of  fierce  personal  vindictiveness.  It  is 
something  far  more  noble  than  that.  These  terrible 
verses  are  prophecy,  but  they  are  prayers  too ;  and 
prayers  which  can  only  be  accounted  for  by  remem- 
bering the  spirit  of  the  old  dispensation.  They  are 
the  more  intense,  because  they  are  launched  against 


cix.]  THE  PSALMS  177 


an  individual,  probably  the  chief  among  the  foes.  In 
vv.  6-15  we  have  imprecations  pure  and  simple,  and 
it  is  noteworthy  that  so  large  a  part  of  these  verses 
refers  to  the  family  of  the  evil-doer.  In  vv.  16-20  the 
grounds  of  the  wished-for  destruction  are  laid  in  the 
sinner's  perverted  choice,  and  the  automatic  action  of 
sin  working  its  own  punishment  is  vividly  set  forth. 

Vv.  6-8  are  best  taken  in  close  connection,  as 
representing  the  trial  and  condemnation  of  the  object 
of  the  psalmist's  imprecations,  before  a  tribunal.  He 
prays  that  the  man  may  be  haled  before  a  wicked 
judge.  The  word  rendered  "set"  is  the  root  from 
which  that  rendered  "office"  in  ver.  8  conies,  and  here 
means  to  set  in  a  position  of  authority — i.e.,  in  a  judicial 
one.  His  judge  is  to  be  "  a  wicked  man  "  like  himself, 
for  such  have  no  mercy  on  each  other.  An  accuser  is 
to  stand  at  his  right  hand.  The  word  rendered  adver- 
sary (the  verb  cognate  with  which  is  used  in  ver.  4)  is 
"Satan";  but  the  general  meaning  of  hostile  accuser 
is  to  be  preferred  here.  With  such  a  judge  and  prose- 
cutor the  issue  of  the  cause  is  certain — "  May  he  go 
out  [from  the  judgment-hall]  guilty."  A  more  terrible 
petition  follows,  which  is  best  taken  in  its  most  terrible 
sense.  The  condemned  man  cries  for  mercy,  not  to 
his  earthly  judge,  but  to  God,  and  the  psalmist  can  ask 
that  the  last  despairing  cry  to  Heaven  may  be  un- 
answered, and  even  counted  sin.  It  could  only  be  so, 
if  the  heart  that  framed  it  was  still  an  evil  heart, 
despairing,  indeed,  but  obdurate.  Then  comes  the 
end  :  the  sentence  is  executed.  The  criminal  dies,  and 
his  office  falls  to  another  ;  his  wife  is  a  widow,  and  his 
children  fatherless.  This  view  of  the  connection  gives 
unity  to  what  is  otherwise  a  mere  heap  of  unconnected 
maledictions.     It  also  brings  out  more  clearly  that  the 

VOL.  III.  12 


178  THE  PSALMS 


psalmist  is  seeking  not  merely  the  gratification  of 
private  animosity,  but  the  vindication  of  public  justice, 
even  if  ministered  by  an  unjust  judge.  Peter's  quota- 
tion of  ver.  8  6  in  reference  to  Judas  (Acts  i.  20)  does 
not  involve  the  Messianic  character  of  the  psalm. 

Vv.  10-15  extend  the  maledictions  to  the  enemy's 
children  and  parents,  in  accordance  vi^ith  the  ancient 
strong  sense  of  family  solidarity,  which  was  often 
expressed  in  practice  by  visiting  the  kindred  of  a 
convicted  criminal  with  ruin,  and  levelling  his  house 
with  the  ground.  The  psalmist  wishes  these  conse- 
quences to  fall  in  all  their  cruel  severity,  and  pictures 
the  children  as  vagabonds,  driven  from  the  desolation 
which  had,  in  happier  da3^s,  been  their  home,  and 
seeking  a  scanty  subsistence  among  strangers.  The 
imprecations  of  ver.  1 1  at  first  sight  seem  to  hark  back 
to  an  earlier  stage  in  the  wicked  man's  career,  con- 
templating him  as  still  in  life.  But  the  wish  that  his 
wealth  may  be  '*  ensnared  "  by  creditors  and  stolen  by 
strangers  is  quite  appropriate  as  a  consequence  of  his 
sentence  and  execution  ;  and  the  prayer  in  ver.  12, 
that  there  may  be  no  one  to  "  draw  out  loving-kind- 
ness "  to  him,  is  probably  best  explained  by  the  parallel 
clause.  A  dead  man  lives  a  quasi-life  in  his  children, 
and  wliat  is  done  to  them  is  a  prolongation  of  what 
was  done  to  him.  Thus  helpless,  beggars,  homeless, 
and  plundered,  "  the  seed  of  evil-doers  "  would  naturally 
be  short-lived,  and  the  psalmist  desires  that  they  may 
be  cut  off,  and  the  world  freed  from  an  evil  race.  His 
wishes  go  backwards  too,  and  reach  to  the  previous 
as  well  as  the  subsequent  generation.  The  foe  had 
come  of  a  bad  stock — parents,  son,  and  son's  sons  are 
to  be  involved  in  a  common  doom,  because  partakers 
of  a  common  sin.     The  special  reason  for  the  terrible 


cix.]  THE  PSALMS  179 


desire  that  the  iniquity  of  his  father  and  mother  may 
never  be  blotted  out  seems  to  be,  the  desire  that  the 
accumulated  consequences  of  hereditary  sin  may  fall 
on  the  heads  of  the  third  generation — a  dread  wish, 
which  experience  shows  is  often  tragically  fulfilled, 
even  when  the  sufferers  are  far  less  guilty  than  their 
ancestors.  "  Father,  forgive  them  "  is  the  strongest 
conceivable  contrast  to  these  awful  prayers.  But  the 
psalmist's  petition  implies  that  the  sins  in  question 
were  unrepented  sins,  and  is,  in  fact,  a  cry  that,  as 
such,  they  should  be  requited  in  the  "  cutting  off  the 
memory "  of  such  a  brood  of  evil-doers  "  from  the 
earth." 

In  ver.  16  a  new  turn  of  thought  begins,  which  is 
pursued  till  ver.  20 — namely,  that  of  the  self-retributive 
action  of  a  perverted  choice  of  evil.  "  He  remembered 
not "  to  be  gracious  to  him  who  needed  compassion ; 
therefore  it  is  just  that  he  should  not  be  remembered 
on  earth,  and  that  his  sin  should  be  remembered  in 
heaven.  He  deliberately  chose  cursing  rather  than 
blessing  as  his  attitude  and  act  towards  others ;  there- 
fore cursing  comes  to  him  and  blessing"  remains  far 
from  him,  as  others'  attitude  and  act  to  him.  The 
world  is  a  mirror  which,  on  the  whole,  gives  back  the 
smile  or  the  frown  which  we  present  to  it.  Though 
the  psalmist  has  complained  that  he  had  loved  and 
been  hated  in  return,  he  does  not  doubt  that,  in  general, 
the  curser  is  cursed  back  again  and  the  blesser  blessed. 
Outwardly  and  inwardly,  the  man  is  wrapped  in  and 
saturated  with  "  cursing."  Like  a  robe  or  a  girdle,  it 
encompasses  him  ;  like  a  draught  of  water,  it  passes 
into  his  inmost  nature ;  like  anointing  oil  oozing  into 
the  bones,  it  steals  into  every  corner  of  his  soul.  His 
own  doings  come  back  to  poison  him.     The  kick  of  the 


i8o  THE  PSALMS 


gun  which  he  fires  is  sure  to  hurt  his  own  shoulder,  and 
it  is  better  to  be  in  front  of  the  muzzle  than  behind  the 
trigger.  The  last  word  of  these  maledictions  is  not 
only  a  wish,  but  a  declaration  of  the  Law  of  Divine 
Retribution.  The  psalmist  could  not  have  found  it  in 
his  heart  to  pray  such  a  prayer  unless  he  had  been 
sure  that  Jehovah  paid  men's  wages  punctually  in  full, 
and  that  conviction  is  the  kernel  of  his  awful  words. 
He  is  equally  sure  that  his  cause  is  God's — because  he 
is  sure  that  God's  cause  is  his,  and  that  he  suffers  for 
righteousness  and  for  the  righteous  Jehovah. 

The  final  part  (vv.  21-31)  returns  to  lowly,  sad 
petitions  for  deliverance,  of  the  kind  common  to  many 
psalms.  Very  pathetically,  and  as  with  a  tightening  of 
his  grasp,  does  the  singer  call  on  his  helper  by  the 
double  name  "Jehovah,  Lord,"  and  plead  all  the  pleas 
with  God  which  are  hived  in  these  names.  The  prayer 
in  ver.  21  6  resembles  that  in  Psalm  Ixix.  16,  another 
of  the  psalms  of  imprecation.  The  image  of  the  long- 
drawn-out  shadow  recurs  in  Psalm  cii.  ii.  The  word 
rendered  "am  I  gone"  occurs  here  only,  and  implies 
compulsory  departure.  The  same  idea  of  external  force 
hurrying  one  out  of  life  is  picturesquely  presented  in 
the  parallel  clause.  "  I  am  shaken  out,"  as  a  thing 
which  a  man  wishes  to  get  rid  of  is  shaken  out  of  the 
folds  of  a  garment.  The  psalmist  thinks  of  himself  as 
being  whirled  away,  helpless,  as  a  swarm  of  locusts 
blown  into  the  sea.  The  physical  feebleness  in  ver.  24 
is  probably  to  be  taken  literally,  as  descriptive  of  the 
havoc  wrought  on  him  by  his  persecutions  and  trouble 
of  soul,  but  may  be,  as  often,  metaphor  for  that  trouble 
itself 

The    expression    in  ver.  24  Z>  rendered  above  ^^ falls 
away  from  fatness  "  is  literally  "  has  become  a  liar,"  or 


cix.]  THE  PSALMS  i8i 


faithless,  which  is  probably  a  picturesque  way  of  saying 
that  the  psalmist's  flesh  had,  as  it  were,  become  a  rene- 
gade from  its  former  well-nourished  condition,  and  was 
emaciated  by  his  sorrow.  Others  would  keep  the  literal 
meaning  of  the  word  rendered  "  fatness  " — i.e.,  oil — and 
translate  "  My  flesh  has  shrunk  up  for  lack  of  oil  "  (so 
Baethgen  and  Kay). 

One  more  glance  at  the  enemies,  now  again  regarded 
as  many,  and  one  more  flash  of  confidence  that  his 
prayer  is  heard,  close  the  psalm.  Once  again  God  is 
invoked  by  His  name  Jehovah,  and  the  suppliant 
presses  close  to  Him  as  "  my  God  " ;  once  again  he 
casts  himself  on  that  loving-kindness,  whose  measure 
is  wider  than  his  thoughts  and  will  ensure  him  larger 
answers  than  his  desires ;  once  again  he  builds  all  his 
hope  on  it,  and  pleads  no  claims  of  his  own.  He  longs 
for  personal  deliverance  ;  but  not  only  for  personal  ends, 
but  rather  that  it  may  be  an  undeniable  manifestation 
of  Jehovah's  power.  That  is  a  high  range  of  feeling 
which  subordinates  self  to  God  even  while  longing  for 
deliverance,  and  wishes  more  that  He  should  be  glorified 
than  that  self  should  be  blessed.  There  is  almost  a 
smile  on  the  psalmist's  face  as  he  contrasts  his  enemies' 
curses  with  God's  blessing,  and  thinks  how  ineffectual 
are  these  and  how  omnipotent  is  that.  He  takes  the 
issue  of  the  strife  between  cursing  men  and  a  blessing 
God  to  be  as  good  as  already  decided.  So  he  can  look 
with  new  equanimity  on  the  energetic  preparations  of  his 
foes  ;  for  he  sees  in  faith  their  confusion  and  defeat,  and 
already  feels  some  springing  in  his  heart  of  the  joy 
of  victory,  and  is  sure  of  already  clothing  themselves 
with  shame.  It  is  the  prerogative  of  Faith  to  behold 
things  that  are  not  as  though  they  were,  and  to  live  as  in 
the  hour  of  triumph  even  while  in  the  thick  of  the  fight. 


i82  THE  PSALMS 


The  psalm  began  with  addressing  "  the  God  of  my 
praise " ;  it  ends  with  the  confidence  and  the  vow 
that  the  singer  will  yet  praise  Him.  It  painted  an 
adversary  standing  at  the  right  hand  of  the  wicked  to 
condemn  him  ;  it  ends  with  the  assurance  that  Jehovah 
stands  at  the  right  hand  of  His  afflicted  servant,  as  his 
advocate  to  protect  him.  The  wicked  man  was  to  "  go 
out  guilty " ;  he  whom  God  defends  shall  come  forth 
Irom  all  that  would  judge  his  soul.  "If  God  be  for 
us,  who  can  be  against  us  ?  It  is  God  that  justifieth  : 
who  is  he  that  condemneth  ?  " 


PSALM    ex. 

1  The  oracle  of  Jehovah  to  my  lord  ; 

Sit  Tliou  [enthroned]  at  My  right  hand, 

Until  I  make  Thine  enemies  the  stool  for  Thy  feet. 

2  The  sceptre  of  Thy  might  shall  Jehovah  stretch  forth  from  Zion, 
"  Rule  Thou  in  the  midst  of  Thine  enemies." 

3  Thy  people  are  free-will  ofterings  in  the  day  of  Thine  army; 
In  holy  attire, 

From  the  womb  of  the  dawn, 

[Comes]  to  Thee  the  dew  of  Thy  youth[s]. 

4  Jehovah  has  sworn  and  will  not  repent, 
Thou  art  a  priest  for  ever. 

After  the  manner  of  Melchizedek. 

5  The  Lord  at  Thy  right  hand 

Has  crushed  kings  in  the  day  of  His  wrath. 

6  He  shall  judge  among  the  nations, 
He  has  filled  [the  land]  with  corpses. 

He  has  crushed  the  head  over  a  wide  land. 

7  Of  the  brook  shall  He  drink  on  the  way. 
Therefore  shall  He  lift  up  [His]  head. 

DOES  our  Lord's  attribution  of  this  psalm  to  David 
foreclose  the  question  of  its  authorship  for  those 
who  accept  His  authority  ?  Many,  who  fully  recognise 
and  reverently  bow  to  that  authority,  think  that  it  does 
not,  and  appeal  for  support  of  their  view  to  the  unques- 
tionable limitations  of  His  earthly  knowledge.  It  is 
urged  that  His  object  in  His  argument  with  the 
Pharisees,  in  which  this  psalm  is  quoted  by  Him 
(Matt.  xxii.  41-46  and  parallels),  is  not  to  instruct  them 
on  the  authorship  of  the  psalm,  but  to  argue  from  its 

183 


1 84  THE  PSALMS 


contents ;  and  though  He  assumes  the  Davidic  author- 
ship, accepted  generally  at  the  time,  yet  the  cogency  of 
His  argument  is  unimpaired,  so  long  as  it  is  recognised 
that  the  psalm  is  a  Messianic  one,  and  that  the  august 
language  used  in  it  of  the  Messiah  is  not  compatible 
with  the  position  of  One  who  was  a  mere  human  son  of 
David  (Driver,  "Introd.,"  p.  363,  note).  So  also  Dr. 
Sanday  ("  Inspiration,"  p.  420)  says  that  "  the  Pharisees 
were  taken  upon  their  own  ground,  and  the  fallacy  of 
their  conclusion  was  shown  on  their  own  premises." 
But  our  Lord's  argument  is  not  drawn  from  the 
"  august  language  "  of  the  psalm,  but  from  David's 
relationship  to  the  Messiah,  and  crumbles  to  pieces  if 
he  is  not  the  singer.  It  may  freely  be  admitted  that 
there  are  instances  in  our  Lord's  references  to  the  Old 
Testament  in  which  He  speaks  from  the  point  of  view 
of  His  hearers  in  regard  to  it ;  but  these  are  cases  in 
which  nothing  turned  on  the  question  whether  that 
point  of  view  was  correct  or  not.  Here  everything 
turns  on  it ;  and  to  maintain  that,  in  so  important  a 
crisis.  He  based  His  arguments  on  an  error  comes 
perilously  near  to  imputing  fallibility  to  Him  as  our 
teacher.  Most  of  recent  writers  who  advocate  the 
view  in  question  would  recoil  from  such  a  conseqiience  ; 
but  their  position  is  divided  from  it  by  a  thin  line. 
Whatever  the  limitations  of  our  Lord's  human  know- 
ledge, they  did  not  affect  His  authority  in  regard  to 
what  He  did  teach ;  and  the  present  writer  ventures  to 
believe  that  He  did  teach  that  David  in  this  psalm 
calls  Messiah  his  Lord. 

If  so,  the  psalm  stands  alone,  as  not  having  primary 
reference  to  an  earthly  king.  It  is  not,  like  other 
Messianic  psalms,  typical,  but  directly  prophetic  of 
Messiah,  and    of   Him   only.     We   are   not   warranted 


ex.]  THE  PSALMS  185 


in  denying  the  possibility  of  such  direct  prophecy ; 
and  the  picture  drawn  in  this  psalm,  so  far  transcend- 
ing any  possible  original  among  the  sons  of  men,  has 
not  full  justice  done  to  its  majestic  lines,  unless  it  is 
recognised  as  setting  forth  none  other  than  the  personal 
Messiah.  True,  it  is  drawn  with  colours  supplied  from 
earthly  experiences,  and  paints  a  warrior-monarch. 
The  prophet-psalmist,  no  doubt,  conceived  of  literal 
warfare ;  but  a  prophet  did  not  alwa3's  understand  the 
oracles  which  he  spoke. 

The  psalm  falls  into  two  parts :  the  Vision  of  the 
Priest-King  and  His  army  (vv.  1-4) ;  the  King's  War- 
fare and  Victory  (vv.  5—7). 

"  The  oracle  of  Jehovah "  introduces  a  fresh  utter- 
ance of  God's,  heard  by  the  psalmist,  who  thus  claims 
to  be  the  mouthpiece  of  the  Divine  will.  It  is  a  familiar 
prophetic  phrase,  but  usually  found  at  the  close — not, 
as  here,  at  the  beginning — of  the  utterance  to  which  it 
refers  (see,  however,  Isa.  Ivi.  8;  Zech.  xii.  i).  The 
unusual  position  makes  the  Divine  origin  of  the  follow- 
ing words  more  emphatic.  "  My  Lord  "  is  a  customary 
title  of  respect  in  addressing  a  superior,  but  not  in 
speaking  of  him.  Its  use  here  evidently  implies  that 
the  psalmist  regards  Messiah  as  his  king,  and  the  best 
comment  on  it  is  Matt.  xxii.  43  :  "  How  then  doth 
David  in  spirit  call  Him  Lord  ?  "  The  substance  of  the 
oracle  follows.  He  who  is  exalted  to  sit  at  the  right 
hand  of  a  king  is  installed  thereby  as  his  associate  in 
rule.  He  who  is  seated  by  God  at  His  right  hand  is 
received  into  such  mystery  of  participation  in  Divine 
authority  and  power,  as  cannot  be  imposed  on  frail 
humanity.  The  rigid  monotheism  of  the  Jewish  singers 
makes  this  tremendous  "  oracle  "  the  more  remarkable. 
Greek   gods   might    have  their  assessors  from  among 


1 85  THE  PSALMS 


mortals,  but  who  shall  share  Jehovah's  throne  ? 
"  Solomon  sat  on  the  throne  of  the  Lord  as  king " 
(i  Chron.  xxix.  23);  but  that  is  no  parallel,  nor  does 
it  show  that  the  oracle  of  this  psalm  simply  states  the 
dignity  of  the  theocratic  king.  Solomon's  throne  was 
Jehovah's,  as  being  established  by  Him,  and  since  he 
represented  Jehovah  on  earth ;  but  to  sit  at  Jehovah's 
right  hand  means  far  more  than  this.  That  session 
of  Messiah  is  represented  as  the  prelude  to  the  exercise 
of  Divine  power  for  His  triumph  over  His  foes ;  and 
that  apparent  repose,  while  Jehovah  fights  for  him,  is 
singularly  contrasted  with  his  activity  as  described  in 
verses  6,  7.  The  singer  speaks  riddles  about  a  union 
of  undisturbed  tranquillity  and  of  warlike  strenuousness, 
which  are  only  solved  when  we  see  their  fulfilment  in 
Him  who  sitteth  at  the  right  hand  of  God,  and  who  yet 
goes  with  His  armies  where  they  go.  "  He  was  received 
up,  and  sat  on  the  right  hand  of  God,  .  .  .  the  Lord 
also  working  with  them "  (Mark  xvi.  19,  20).  The 
opened  heavens  showed  to  Stephen  his  Master,  not 
sitting,  but  standing  in  the  posture  of  readiness  to  help 
him  dying,  and  to  receive  him  made  more  alive  by  death. 
His  foot  shall  be  on  the  neck  of  His  foes,  as  Joshua 
bade  the  men  of  Israel  put  theirs  on  the  conquered 
kings'.  Opposition  shall  not  only  be  subdued,  but  shall 
become  subsidiary  to  Messiah's  dominion,  "a  stepping- 
stone  to  higher  things." 

The  Divine  oracle  is  silent,  and  the  strain  is  taken 
up  by  the  psalmist  himself,  who  speaks  "in  the 
spirit,"  in  the  remainder  of  the  psalm,  no  less  than 
he  did  when  uttering  Jehovah's  word.  Messiah's 
dominion  has  a  definite  earthly  centre.  From  Zion  is 
this  King  to  rule.  His  mighty  sceptre,  the  symbol  and 
instrument  of  His  God-given  power,  is  to  stretch  thence. 


ex.]  THE  PSALMS  187 

How  far?  No  limit  is  named  to  the  sweep  of  His 
sway.  But  since  Jehovah  is  to  extend  it,  it  must 
be  conterminous  with  the  reach  of  His  omnipotence. 
Ver.  2  b  may  be  taken  as  the  words  of  Jehovah,  but 
more  probably  they  are  the  lo3'al  exclamation  of  the 
psalmist,  moved  to  his  heart's  depths  by  the  vision 
which  makes  the  bliss  of  his  solitude.  The  word 
rendered  "  rule  "  is  found  also  in  Balaam's  prophecy 
of  Messiah  (Numb.  xxiv.  19)  and  in  the  Messianic  Psalm 
Ixxii.  8.  The  kingdom  is  to  subsist  in  the  midst  of 
enemies.  The  normal  state  of  the  Church  on  earth 
is  militant.  Yet  the  enemies  are  not  onl}'  a  ring  of 
antagonists  round  a  centre  of  submission,  but  into  their 
midst  His  power  penetrates,  and  Messiah  dominates 
them  too,  for  all  their  embattled  hostility.  A  throne 
round  which  storms  of  rebellion  rage  is  an  insecure 
seat.  But  this  throne  is  established  through  enmity, 
because  it  is  upheld  by  Jehovah. 

The  kingdom  in  relation  to  its  subjects  is  the  theme 
of  ver.  3,  which  accords  with  the  warlike  tone  of  the 
whole  psalm,  by  describing  them  as  an  army.  The 
period  spoken  of  is  "  the  day  of  Thy  host,"  or  array — 
the  time  when  the  forces  are  mustered  and  set  in  order 
for  battle.  The  word  rendered  free-will  offerings  may 
possibly  mean  simply  "  willingnesses,"  and  the  abstract 
noun  may  be  used  as  in  "  I  am — prayer"  (Psalm  cix.  4) — 
i.e.,  most  willing  ;  but  it  is  better  to  retain  the  fuller  and 
more  picturesque  meaning  of  glad,  spontaneous  sacrifices, 
which  corresponds  with  the  priestly  character  afterwards 
ascribed  to  the  people,  and  goes  very  deep  into  the 
essence  of  Christian  service.  There  are  to  be  no 
pressed  men  or  mercenaries  in  that  host.  As  Deborah 
sang  of  her  warriors,  these  "  offer  themselves  willingly." 
Glad  consecration  of  self,  issuing  in  spontaneous  enlist- 


i88  THE  PSALMS 


ing  for  the  wars  of  the  King,  is  to  characterise  all  His 
subjects.  The  army  is  the  nation.  These  soldiers 
are  to  be  priests.  They  are  clad  in  holy  attire,  "  fine 
linen,  clean  and  white."  That  representation  goes  as 
deep  into  the  nature  of  the  warfare  they  have  to  wage 
and  the  weapons  they  have  to  wield,  as  the  former  did 
into  the  impulse  which  sends  them  to  serve  under 
Messiah's  flag.  The  priestly  function  is  to  bring  God 
and  man  near  to  one  another.  Their  warfare  can  only 
be  for  the  carrying  out  of  their  office.  Their  weapons 
are  sympathy,  gentleness,  purit3^  Like  the  Templars, 
the  Christian  soldier  must  bear  the  cross  on  his  shield 
and  the  hilt  of  his  sword.  Another  reading  of  this 
phrase  is  "  on  the  holy  mountains,"  which  is  preferred 
by  many,  among  whom  are  Hupfeld  and  Cheyne.  But 
the  great  preponderance  of  evidence  is  against  the 
change,  which  obliterates  a  very  striking  and  profound 
thought. 

Ver.  $  c,  d  gives  another  picture  of  the  host.  The 
usual  explanation  of  the  clause  takes  **  youth "  as 
meaning,  not  the  3^oung  vigour  of  the  King,  but,  in  a 
collective  sense,  the  assembled  warriors,  whom  it  paints 
as  in  the  bloom  of  early  manhood.  The  principal  point 
of  comparison  of  the  arm}'  with  the  dew  is  probably 
its  multitude  (2  Sam.  xvii.  12).  The  warriors  have 
the  gift  of  un-aging  youth,  as  all  those  have  who 
renew  their  strength  by  serving  Christ.  And  it  is 
permissible  to  take  other  characteristics  of  the  dew 
than  its  abundance,  and  to  think  of  the  mystery  of  its 
origin,  of  the  tiny  mirrors  of  the  sunshine  hanging  on 
every  cobweb,  of  its  power  to  refresh,  as  well  as  of  the 
myriads  of  its  drops. 

But  this  explanation,  beautiful  and  deep  as  it  is, 
is  challenged  by  many.     The  word  rendered  "  dawn  " 


ex.]  THE  PSALMS  189 


is  unusual.  "  Youth "  is  not  found  elsewhere  in  the 
sense  thus  assigned  to  it.  "  Dew  "  is  thought  to  be  an 
infelicitous  emblem.  "  From  a  linguistic  point  of  view  " 
Cheyne  pronounces  both  **  dawn  "  and  "  dew  "  to  be 
intolerable.  Singularly  enough,  in  the  next  sentence, 
he  deprecates  a  previous  opinion  of  his  own  as  premature 
"  until  we  know  something  certain  of  the  Hebrew  of 
the  Davidic  age  "  ("  Orig.  of  Psalt.,"  p.  482).  But  if 
such  certainty  is  lacking,  why  should  these  two  words 
be  "  intolerable  "  ?  He  approves  Bickell's  conjectural 
emendation,  "  From  the  womb,  from  the  dawn  [of  life], 
Thy  youthful  band  is  devoted  to  Thee." 

Ver.  4  again  enshrines  a  Divine  utterance,  which  is 
presented  in  an  even  more  solemn  manner  than  that 
of  ver.  I.  The  oath  of  Jehovah  by  Himself  represents 
the  thing  sworn  as  guaranteed  by  the  Divine  character. 
God,  as  it  were,  pledges  His  own  name,  with  its 
fulness  of  unchanging  power,  to  the  fulfilment  of  the 
word  ;  and  this  irrevocable  and  omnipotent  decree  is 
made  still  more  impressive  by  the  added  assurance  that 
He  "  will  not  repent."  Thus  inextricably  intertwined 
with  the  augustness  of  God's  nature,  the  union  of  the 
ro3'al  and  priestly  offices  in  the  person  of  Messiah  shall 
endure  for  ever.  Some  commentators  contend  that 
every  theocratic  king  of  Israel  was  a  priest,  inasmuch 
as  he  was  king  of  a  priestly  nation.  But  since  the 
national  priestliness  did  not  hinder  the  appointment  of 
a  special  order  of  priests,  it  is  most  natural  to  assume 
that  the  special  order  is  here  referred  to.  Why  should 
the  singer  have  gone  back  into  the  mists  of  antiquity, 
in  order  to  find  the  type  of  a  priest-king,  if  the  union 
of  offices  belonged,  by  virtue  of  his  kinghood,  to  every 
Jewish  monarch  ?  Clearly  the  combination  was  un- 
exampled ;  and  such  an  incident  as  that  of  Uzziah's 


igo  THE  PSALMS 


leprosy  shows  how  carefully  the  two  great  offices  were 
kept  apart.  Their  opposition  has  resulted  in  many 
tragedies :  probably  their  union  would  be  still  more 
fatal,  except  in  the  case  of  One  whose  priestly  sacrifice 
of  Himself  as  a  willing  offering  is  the  basis  of  His 
royal  sway.  The  "  order  of  Melchizedek  "  has  received 
unexpected  elucidation  from  the  Tel-el-Amarna  tablets, 
which  bring  to  light,  as  a  correspondent  of  the  Pharaoh, 
one  Ebed-tob,  king  of  Uru-salim  (the  city  of  Salim, 
the  god  of  peace).  In  one  of  his  letters  he  says, 
"  Behold,  neither  my  father  nor  my  mother  have 
exalted  me  in  this  place;  the  prophecy  [or  perhaps, 
arm]  of  the  mighty  King  has  caused  me  to  enter  the 
house  of  my  father."  By  the  mighty  King  is  meant 
the  god  whose  sanctuary  stood  on  the  summit  of  Mount 
Moriah.  He  was  king  of  Jerusalem,  because  he  was 
priest  of  its  god  (Sayce,  "  Criticism  and  the  Monu- 
ments," p.  175).  The  psalm  lays  stress  on  the  eternal 
duration  of  the  royalty  and  priesthood  of  Messiah ; 
and  although  in  other  Messianic  psalms  the  promised 
perpetuity  may  be  taken  to  refer  to  the  dynasty  rather 
than  the  individual  monarch,  that  explanation  is  im- 
possible here,  where  a  person  is  the  theme. 

Many  attempts  have  been  made  to  fit  the  language 
of  the  psalm  to  one  or  other  of  the  kings  of  Israel ;  but, 
not  to  mention  other  difficulties,  this  ver.  4  remains  as 
an  insuperable  obstacle.  In  default  of  Israelite  kings, 
one  or  other  of  the  Maccabean  family  has  been  thought 
of.  Cheyne  strongly  pronounces  for  Simon  Macca- 
baeus,  and  refers,  as  others  have  done,  to  a  popular 
decree  in  his  favour,  declaring  him  "  ruler  and  high 
priest  for  ever  "  ("  Orig.  of  Psalt.,"  p.  26).  On  this 
identification,  Baethgen  asks  if  it  is  probable  that  the 
singer  should   have   taken   his  theme   from   a  popular 


ex.]  THE  PSALMS  191 


decree,  and  have  transformed  it  {iimgestempelt)  into  a 
Divine  oath.  It  may  be  added  that  Simon  was  not  a 
king,  and  that  he  was  by  birth  a  priest. 

The  second  part  of  the  psalm  carries  the  King  into 
the  battle-field.  He  comes  forth  from  the  throne, 
where  He  sat  at  Jehovah's  right  hand,  and  now  Jehovah 
stands  at  His  right  hand.  The  word  rendered  Lord  in 
ver.  5  is  never  used  of  any  but  God,  and  it  is  best  to 
take  it  so  here,  even  though  to  do  so  involves  the 
necessity  of  supposing  a  change  in  the  subject  either 
in  ver.  6  or  ver.  7,  which  latter  verse  can  only  refer 
to  the  Messiah.  The  destructive  conflict  described  is 
said  to  take  place  "in  the  day  of  His  wrath" — i.e.,  of 
Jehovah's.  If  this  is  strictly  interpreted,  the  period 
intended  is  not  that  of  **  the  da}'  of  Thine  army,"  when 
by  His  priestly  warriors  the  Priest-King  wages  a 
warfare  among  His  enemies,  which  wins  them  to  be 
His  lovers,  but  that  dread  hour  when  He  comes  forth 
from  His  ascended  glory  to  pronounce  doom  among 
the  nations  and  to  crush  all  opposition.  Such  a  final 
apocalypse  of  the  wrath  of  the  Lamb  is  declared  to  us 
in  clearer  words,  which  may  well  be  permitted  to  cast 
a  light  back  on  this  psalm  (Rev.  xix.  ii).  "He  has 
crushed  kings "  is  the  perfect  of  prophetic  certaint}^ 
or  intuition,  the  scene  being  so  vividly  bodied  before 
the  singer  that  he  regards  it  as  accomplished.  "  He 
shall  judge  "  or  give  doom  "  among  the  nations," — 
the  future  of  pure  prediction.  Ver.  6Z>  is  capable  of 
various  renderings.  It  may  be  rendered  as  above, 
or  the  verb  may  be  intransitive  and  the  whole  clause 
translated.  It  becomes  full  of  corpses  (so  Delitzsch) ;  or 
the  word  may  be  taken  as  an  adjective,  in  which  case 
the  meaning  would  be  the  same  as  if  it  were  an  intran- 
sitive  verb.     "  The  head  over  a  wide  land "   is  also 


192  THE  PSALMS 

ambiguous.  If  "  head  "  is  taken  as  a  collective  noun, 
it  means  rulers.  But  it  may  be  also  regarded  as 
referring  to  a  person,  the  principal  antagonist  of  the 
Messiah.  This  is  the  explanation  of  many  of  the  older 
interpreters,  who  think  of  Death  or  "  the  prince  of  this 
world,"  but  is  too  fanciful  to  be  adopted. 

Ver.  7  is  usually  taken  as  depicting  the  King  as 
pausing  in  His  victorious  pursuit  of  the  flying  foe,  to 
drink,  like  Gideon's  men,  from  the  brook,  and  then 
with  renewed  vigour  pressing  on.  But  is  not  the  idea 
of  the  Messiah  needing  refreshment  in  that  final  conflict 
somewhat  harsh  ? — and  may  there  not  be  here  a  certain 
desertion  of  the  order  of  sequence,  so  that  we  are 
carried  back  to  the  time  prior  to  the  enthronement 
of  the  King  ?  One  is  tempted  to  suggest  the  possibility 
of  this  closing  verse  being  a  full  parallel  with  Phil, 
ii.  7-9.  Christ  on  the  way  to  His  throne  drank  of 
"  waters  of  affliction,"  and  precisely  therefore  is  He 
"  highly  exalted." 

The  choice  for  every  man  is,  being  crushed  beneath 
His  foot,  or  being  exalted  to  sit  with  Him  on  His 
throne.  "  He  that  overcometh,  to  him  will  I  give  to 
sit  down  with  Me  on  My  throne,  even  as  I  also  over- 
came, and  am  set  down  with  My  Father  on  His  throne." 
It  is  better  to  sit  on  His  throne  than  to  be  His 
footstool. 


PSALM    CXI. 

Hallelujah. 

1  N  I  will  thank  Jehovah  with  my  whole  heart, 

2   In  the  council  of  the  upright  and  in  the  congregation. 

2  }    Great  are  the  works  of  Jehovah, 

T    Inquired  into  by  all  who  delight  in  them. 

3  n  Honour  and  majesty  is  His  working, 

1    And  His  righteousness  stands  fast  for  aye. 

4  T    He  has  made  a  memorial  for  His  wonders, 
n  Gracious  and  compassionate  is  Jehovah. 

5  D  Food  has  He  given  to  those  who  fear  Him, 
'     Ho  remembers  His  covenant  for  ever. 

6  3    The  power  of  His  works  has  He  showed  to  His  people, 
7    In  giving  them  the  inheritance  of  the  nations. 

7  D  The  works  of  His  hands  are  truth  and  judgment 
J    Trustworthy  are  all  His  commandments; 

8  D  Established  for  aye  and  for  ever, 
V   Done  in  truth  and  uprightness. 

9  Q  Redemption  has  He  sent  to  His  people, 
^{  He  has  ordained  His  covenant  for  ever, 
p   Holy  and  dread  is  His  name. 

lO  1  The  fear  of  Jehovah  is  the  beginning  of  wisdom, 
C  Good  understanding  [belongs]  to  all  who  do  them  ; 
n  His  praise  stands  fast  for  aye. 

ANOTHER  series  of  psalms  headed  with  Ilallekijah 
begins  here,  and  includes  the  two  following 
psalms.  The  prefix  apparently  indicates  liturgical  use. 
The  present  psalm  is  closely  allied  to  the  next.  Both 
are  acrostic,  and  correspond  verse  to  verse,  as  will 
appear  in  the  exposition.  Together  they  represent 
God  and  the  godly,  this  psalm  magnifying  tlie  Divine 
VOL.  III.  '93  13 


194  1^^^^  PSALMS 


character  and  acts,  the  other  painting  the  ideal  godly 
man  as,  in  some  real  fashion,  an  "  imitator  of  God  as 
a  beloved  child."  Both  are  gnomic,  and  built  up  by 
accumulation  of  slightly  connected  particulars,  rather 
than  flowing  continuously  in  a  sequence  which  springs 
from  one  pregnant  thought.  Both  have  allusions  to 
other  psalms  and  to  the  Book  of  Proverbs,  and  share 
with  many  of  the  psalms  of  Book  V.  the  character  of 
being  mainly  working  over  of  old  materials. 

The  Psalmist  begins  by  a  vow  to  thank  Jehovah 
with  his  whole  heart,  and  immediately  proceeds  to 
carry  it  out.  "  The  upright  "  is  by  some  understood 
as  a  national  designation,  and  "  council "  taken  as 
equivalent  to  "  congregation."  But  it  is  more  in 
accordance  with  usage  to  regard  the  psalmist  as  refer- 
ring first  to  a  narrower  circle  of  like-minded  lovers 
of  good,  to  whose  congenial  ears  he  rejoices  to  sing. 
There  was  an  Israel  within  Israel,  who  would  sym- 
pathise with  his  song.  The  "  congregation  "  is  then 
either  the  wider  audience  of  the  gathered  people,  or,  as 
Delitzsch  takes  it,  equivalent  to  "  their  congregation  " — 
i.e.,  of  the  upright. 

The  theme  of  thanksgiving  is,  as  ever,  God's  works 
for  Israel ;  and  the  first  characteristic  of  these  which 
the  psalmist  sings  is  their  greatness.  He  will  come 
closer  presently,  and  discern  more  delicate  features, 
but  now,  the  magnitude  of  these  colossal  manifestations 
chiefly  animates  his  song.  Far-stretching  in  their 
mass  and  in  their  consequences,  deep-rooted  in  God's 
own  character.  His  great  deeds  draw  the  eager  search 
of  "  those  who  delight  in  them."  These  arc  the  same 
sympathetic  auditors  to  whom  the  song  is  primarily 
addressed.  There  were  indolent  beholders  in  Israel, 
before  whom  the   works  of  God  were  passed  without 


cxi.J  THE  PSALMS  19S 


exciting  the  faintest  desire  to  know  more  of  their 
depth.  Such  careless  onlookers,  who  see  and  see  not, 
are  rife  in  all  ages.  God  shines  out  in  His  deeds,  and 
they  will  not  give  one  glance  of  sharpened  interest. 
But  the  test  of  caring  for  His  doings  is  the  effort  to 
comprehend  their  greatness,  and  plunge  oneself  into 
their  depths.  The  more  one  gazes,  the  more  one  sees. 
What  was  at  first  but  dimly  apprehended  as  great 
resolves  itself,  as  we  look  ;  and,  first,  "  Honour  and 
majesty,"  the  splendour  of  His  reflected  character, 
shine  out  from  His  deeds,  and  then,  when  still  more 
deeply  they  are  pondered,  the  central  fact  of  their 
righteousness,  their  conformity  to  the  highest  standard 
of  rectitude,  becomes  patent.  Greatness  and  majesty, 
divorced  from  righteousness,  would  be  no  theme  for 
praise.  Such  greatness  is  littleness,  such  splendour  is 
phosphorescent  corruption. 

These  general  contemplations  are  followed  in  vv.  4-6 
by  references  to  Israel's  history  as  the  greatest  example 
of  God's  working.  "  He  has  made  a  memorial  for  His 
wonders."  Some  find  here  a  reference  to  the  Pass- 
over and  other  feasts  commemorative  of  the  deliver- 
ance from  Egypt.  But  it  is  better  to  think  of  Israel 
itself  as  the  "  memorial,"  or  of  the  deeds  themselves,  in 
their  remembrance  by  men,  as  being,  as  it  were,  a 
monument  of  His  power.  The  men  whom  God  has 
blessed  are  standing  evidences  of  His  wonders.  "  Ye 
are  My  witnesses,  saith  the  Lord."  And  the  great 
attribute,  which  is  commemorated  by  that  "  memorial,"  is 
Jehovah's  gracious  compassion.  The  psalmist  presses 
steadily  towards  the  centre  of  the  Divine  nature. 
God's  works  become  eloquent  of  more  and  more 
precious  truth  as  he  listens  to  their  voice.  They 
spoke  of  greatness,  honour,  majesty,  righteousness,  but 


196  THE  PSALMS 


tenderer  qualities  are  revealed  to  the  loving  and 
patient  gazer.  The  two  standing  proofs  of  Divine 
kindness  are  the  miraculous  provision  of  food  in  the 
desert  and  the  possession  of  the  promised  land.  But 
to  the  psalmist  these  are  not  past  deeds  to  be  remem- 
bered only,  but  continually  repeated  operations.  "  He 
remembers  His  covenant  for  ever/'  and  so  the  expe- 
riences of  the  fathers  are  lived  over  again  by  the 
children,  and  to-day  is  as  full  of  God  as  yesterday  was. 
Still  He  feeds  ms,  still  He  gives  us  our  heritage. 

From  ver.  7  onwards  a  new  thought  comes  in.  God 
has  spoken  as  well  as  wrought.  His  very  works  carry 
messages  of  "  truth  and  judgment,"  and  they  are 
interpreted  further  by  articulate  precepts,  which  are 
at  once  a  revelation  of  what  He  is  and  a  law  for 
what  we  should  be.  His  law  stands  as  fast  as  His 
righteousness  (vv.  3,  8).  A  man  may  utterly  trust  His 
commandments.  They  abide  eternally,  for  Duty  is 
ever  Duty,  and  His  Law,  while  it  has  a  surface  of 
temporary  ceremonial,  has  a  core  of  immutable  require- 
ment. His  commandments  are  done — i.e.^  appointed  by 
Him — **  in  truth  and  uprightness."  They  are  tokens 
of  His  grace  and  revelations  of  His  character. 

The  two  closing  verses  have  three  clauses  each,  partly 
from  the  exigencies  of  the  acrostic  structure,  and  partly 
to  secure  a  more  impressive  ending.  Ver.  9  sums  up  all 
God's  works  in  the  two  chief  manifestations  of  His  good- 
ness which  should  ever  live  in  Israel's  thanks,  His  send- 
ing redemption  and  His  establishing  His  everlasting 
covenant — the  two  facts  which  are  as  fresh  to-da}^,  under 
new  and  better  forms,  as  when  long  ago  this  unknown 
psalmist  sang.  And  he  gathers  up  the  total  impression 
which  God's  dealings  should  leave,  in  the  great  saying, 
"  Holy  and  dread  is  His  name."     In  ver.  10  he  some- 


cxi.]  THE  PSALMS  197 


what  passes  the  hmits  of  liis  theme,  and  trenches  on 
the  territory  of  the  next  psahii,  which  is  already 
beginning  to  shape  itself  in  his  mind.  The  designation 
of  the  fear  of  the  Jehovah  as  **  the  beginning  of 
wisdom"  is  from  Prov.  i.  7,  ix.  10.  "Beginning" 
may  rather  mean  "  principal  part "  (Prov.  iv.  7,  "  prin- 
cipal thing").  The  "them"  of  ver.  10  b  is  best 
referred,  though  the  expression  is  awkward,  to  "  com- 
mandments "  in  ver.  7.  Less  probably  it  is  taken  to 
allude  to  the  "  fear "  and  "  wisdom  "  of  the  previous 
clause.  The  two  clauses  of  this  verse  descriptive  of 
the  godly  correspond  in  structure  to  a  and  b  of  ver.  9, 
and  the  last  clause  corresponds  to  the  last  of  that  verse, 
expressing  the  continual  praise  which  should  rise  to 
that  holy  and  dread  Name.  Note  that  the  perpetual 
duration,  which  has  been  predicated  of  God's  attributes, 
precepts,  and  covenant  (vv.  3,  5,  8,  9),  is  here  ascribed  to 
His  praise.  Man's  songs  cannot  fall  dumb,  so  long  as 
God  pours  out  Himself  in  such  deeds.  As  long  as  that 
Sun  streams  across  the  desert,  stony  lips  will  part  in 
music  to  hail  its  beams. 


PSALM    CXII. 

Hallelujah. 

1  N   Happy  the  man  who  fears  Jehovah, 

3    [Who]  delights  exceedingly  in  His  commandments. 

2  3    Mighty  on  the  earth  shall  his  seed  be, 

T  The  generation  of  the  upright  shall  be  blessed. 

3  n   Wealth  and  riches  are  in  his  house, 

1    And  his  righteousness  stands  fast  for  aye. 

4  T    Tiiere  riseth  in  the  darkness  light  to  the  upright, — 
n  Gracious  and  pitiful  and  righteous  is  he. 

5  D   Well  is  the  man  who  pities  and  lends, 

*     He  shall  maintain  his  causes  in  [the]  judgment. 

6  3    For  he  shall  not  be  moved  for  ever, 

?    In  everlasting  remembrance  shall  the  righteous  be  held. 

7  JD  Of  evil  tidings  he  shall  not  be  afraid, 

J    Steadfast  is  his  heart,  trusting  in  Jehovah. 

8  D   Established  is  his  heart,  he  shall  not  fear, 
V   Until  he  looks  on  his  adversaries. 

9  S   He  has  scattered  abroad,  he  has  given  to  the  poor, 

His  righteousness  stands  fast  for  aye, 
p    His  horn  shall  be  exalted  with  glory, 
lo  ")   The  wicked  man  shall  see  it  and  be  grieved, 
JJ'  He  shall  gnash  his  teeth  and  melt  away, 
n    The  desire  of  wicked  men  shall  perish. 

"  T])  E  ye  perfect,  as  your  Father  in  heaven  is  perfect/' 
J-3  might  be  inscribed  on  this  picture  of  a  godly 
man,  which,  in  structure  and  substance,  reflects  the 
contemplation  of  God's  character  and  works  contained 
in  the  preceding  psalm.  The  idea  that  the  godly  man 
is,  in  some  real  sense,  an  image  of  God  runs  through 
the  whole,  and  ccjiiics  out  strongly,  at  several  points,  in 

198 


cxii.]  THE  PSALMS  199 

the  repetition  of  the  same  expressions  in  reference  to 
both.  The  portrait  of  the  ideal  good  man,  outHned  in 
this  psalm,  may  be  compared  with  those  in  Psalms  xv. 
and  xxiv.  Its  most  characteristic  feature  is  the 
prominence  given  to  beneficence,  which  is  regarded  as 
eminently  a  reflection  of  God's.  The  foundation  of 
righteousness  is  laid  in  ver.  i,  in  devout  awe  and 
inward  delight  in  the  commandments.  But  the  bulk  of 
the  psalm  describes  the  blessed  consequences,  rather 
than  the  essential  characteristics,  of  godliness. 

The  basis  of  righteousness  and  beneficence  to  men 
must  be  laid  in  reverence  and  conformity  of  will 
towards  God.  Therefore  the  psalm  begins  with  pro- 
claiming that,  apart  from  all  external  consequences, 
these  dispositions  carry  blessedness  in  themselves. 
The  close  of  the  preceding  psalm  had  somewhat  over- 
passed its  limits,  when  it  declared  that  "  the  fear  of 
Jehovah  "  was  the  beginning  of  wisdom  and  that  to  do 
His  commandments  was  sound  discretion. 

This  psalm  echoes  these  sayings,  and  so  links  itself 
to  the  former  one.  It  deepens  them  by  pointing  out 
that  the  fear  of  Jehovah  is  a  fountain  of  joy  as  well  as 
of  wisdom,  and  that  inward  delight  in  the  Law  must 
precede  outward  doing  of  it.  The  familiar  blessing 
attached  in  the  Old  Testament  to  godliness,  namely, 
prosperous  posterity,  is  the  first  of  the  consequences 
of  righteousness  which  the  psalm  holds  out.  That 
promise  belongs  to  another  order  of  things  from  that  of 
the  New  Testament ;  but  the  essence  of  it  is  true  still, 
namely,  that  the  only  secure  foundation  for  permanent 
prosperity  is  in  the  fear  of  Jehovah.  "  The  generation 
of  the  upright "  (ver.  2)  does  not  merely  mean  the 
natural  descendants  of  a  good  man — ^"  It  is  a  moral 
rather    than    a    genealogical    term"    (llupfeld) — as    is 


THE  PSALMS 


usually  the  case  with  the  word  "generation."  Another 
result  of  righteousness  is  declared  to  be  "  wealth  and 
riches  "  (ver.  3),  which,  again,  must  be  taken  as  appl3ang 
more  fully  to  the  Old  Testament  system  of  Providence 
than  to  that  of  the  New. 

A  parallelism  of  the  most  striking  character  between 
God  and  the  godly  emerges  in  ver.  3  b,  where  the 
same  words  are  applied  to  the  latter  as  were  used  of 
the  former,  in  the  corresponding  verse  of  Psalm  cxi. 
It  would  be  giving  too  great  evangelical  definiteness  to 
the  psalmist's  words,  to  read  into  them  the  Christian 
teaching  that  man's  righteousness  is  God's  gift  through 
Christ,  but  it  unwarrantably  eviscerates  them  of  their 
meaning,  if  we  go  to  the  other  extreme,  and,  with 
Hupfeld,  suppose  that  the  psalmist  put  in  the  clause 
under  stress  of  the  exigencies  of  the  acrostic  structure, 
and  regard  it  as  a  "makeshift"  and  "stop-gap."  The 
psalmist  has  a  very  definite  and  noble  thought.  Man's 
righteousness  is  the  reflection  of  God's ;  and  has  in  it 
some  kindred  with  its  original,  which  guarantees 
stability  not  all  unlike  the  eternity  of  that  source. 
Since  ver.  3  b  thus  brings  into  prominence  the  ruling 
thought  of  the  two  psalms,  possibly  we  may  venture 
to  see  a  fainter  utterance  of  that  thought,  in  the  first 
clause  of  the  verse,  in  which  the  "  wealth  and  riches  " 
in  the  righteous  man's  house  may  correspond  to  the 
"  honour  and  majesty "  attendant  on  God's  works 
(cxi.  3  a). 

Ver.  4  blends  consequences  of  righteousness  and 
characterisation  of  it,  in  a  remarkab'e  way.  The 
construction  is  doubtful.  In  a,  "ap/ght"  is  in  the 
plural,  and  the  adjectives  in  b  are  in  the  singular 
number.  They  are  appended  abruptly  to  the  preceding 
clause  ;  and  the  loose  structure  has  occasioned  difficulty 


cxii.]  THE  PSALMS 


to  expositors,  which  has  been  increased  by  the  scruples 
of  some,  who  have  not  given  due  weight  to  the  leading 
thought  of  correspondence  between  the  human  and 
Divine,  and  have  hesitated  to  regard  ver.  4  Z*  as 
referring  to  the  righteous  man,  seeing  that  in  Psalm 
cxi.  4/*  it  refers  to  God.  Hence  efforts  have  been 
made  to  find  other  renderings.  Delitzsch  would  refer 
the  clause  to  God,  whom  he  takes  to  be  meant  by 
"  light "  in  the  previous  clause,  w^hile  Hitzig,  followed 
by  Baethgen,  would  translate,  "As  a  light,  he  (the 
righteous)  rises  in  darkness  for  the  upright,"  and 
would  then  consider  "gracious,"  etc.,  as  in  apposition 
with  "  light,"  and  descriptive  of  the  righteous  man's 
character  as  such.  But  the  very  fact  that  the  \vords 
are  applied  to  God  in  the  corresponding  verse  of 
the  previous  psalm  suggests  their  application  here  to 
the  godly  man,  and  the  sudden  change  of  number  is 
not  so  harsh  as  to  require  the  ordinary  translation  to 
be  abandoned.  However  dark  may  be  a  good  man's 
road,  the  very  midnight  blackness  is  a  prophecy  of 
sunrise  ;  or,  to  use  another  figure, 

"  If  winter  comes,  can  spring  be  far  behind  ?  " 

(Compare  Psalm  xcvii.  11.)  The  fountain  of  pity  in 
human  hearts  must  be  fed  from  the  great  source  of 
compassion  in  God's,  if  it  is  to  gush  out  unremittingly 
and  bless  the  deserts  of  sorrow  and  misery.  He  who 
has  received  "  grace  "  will  surely  exercise  grace.  "  Be 
ye  merciful,  even  as  your  Father  is  merciful "  (Luke 
vi.  36). 

Ver.  5  blends  characteristics  and  consequences  of 
goodness  in  reverse  order  from  that  in  ver.  4.  The 
compassionate  man  of  ver.  4  b  docs  not  let  pity  evapo- 
rate, but  is  moved  by  it  to  act  and  to  lend  (primarily 


THE  PSALMS 


money,  but  secondarily)  any  needful  help  or  solace. 
Benevolence  which  is  not  translated  into  beneficence  is 
a  poor  affair.  There  is  no  blessing  in  it  or  for  it ;  but 
it  is  well  with  the  man  who  turns  emotions  into  deeds. 
Lazy  compassion  hurts  him  who  indulges  in  it,  but 
that  which  "  lends  "  gets  joy  in  the  act  of  bestowing  aid. 
The  result  of  such  active  compassion  is  stated  in  ver.  5  b 
as  being  that  such  a  one  will  "  maintain  his  causes  in 
judgment,"  by  which  seems  to  be  meant  the  judgment 
of  earthly  tribunals.  If  compassion  and  charity  guide 
a  life,  it  will  have  few  disputes,  and  will  contain  nothing 
for  which  a  judge  can  condemn.  He  who  obe3's  the 
higher  law  will  not  break  the  lower. 

Vv.  6-8  dwell  mainly  on  one  consequence  of  right- 
eousness, namely,  the  stability  which  it  imparts.  While 
such  a  man  lives,  he  shall  be  unmoved  by  shocks,  and 
after  he  dies,  his  memory  will  live,  like  a  summer 
evening's  glow  which  lingers  in  the  west  till  a  new 
morning  dawns.  In  ver.  7  the  resemblance  of  the 
godly  to  God  comes  very  beautifully  to  the  surface. 
Psalm  cxi.  7  deals  with  God's  commandments  as 
"trustworthy."  The  human  parallel  is  an  established 
heart.  He  who  has  learned  to  lean  upon  Jehovah 
(for  such  is  the  literal  force  of  "  trusting "  here),  and 
has  proved  the  commandments  utterly  reliable  as  basis 
for  his  life,  will  have  his  heart  steadfast.  The  same 
idea  is  repeated  in  ver.  8  with  direct  quotation  of  the 
corresponding  verse  of  Psalm  cxi.  In  both  the  word 
for  "  established  "  is  the  same.  The  heart  that  delights 
in  God's  established  commandments  is  established  by 
them,  and,  sooner  or  later,  will  look  in  calm  security 
on  the  fading  away  of  all  evil  things  and  men,  while 
it  rests  indeed,  because  it  rests  in  God.  He  who 
builds  his  transient  life  on  and  into  the  Rock  of  Atres 


cxii.]  TIhE  PSALMS  203 

wins  rocklike  steadfastness,  and  some  share  in  the 
perpetuity  of  his  Refuge.  Lives  rooted  in  God  are 
never  uprooted. 

The  two  final  verses  are  elongated,  like  the  coire- 
sponding  ones  in  Psalm  cxi.  Again,  beneficence  is 
put  in  the  forefront,  as  a  kind  of  shorthand  summing 
up  of  all  virtues.  And,  again,  in  ver.  9  the  analogy 
is  drawn  out  between  God  and  the  godly.  "  He  has 
sent  redemption  to  His  people  " ;  and  they,  in  their 
degree,  are  to  be  communicative  of  the  gifts  of  which 
they  have  been  made  recipient.  Little  can  they  give, 
compared  with  what  they  have  received ;  but  what 
they  have  they  hold  in  trust  for  those  who  need  it, 
and  the  sure  test  of  having  obtained  "  redemption  " 
is  a  "  heart  open  as  day  to  melting  charity."  In  the 
former  psalm,  ver.  9  b  declared  that  God  has  "  ordained 
His  covenant  for  ever " ;  and  here  the  corresponding 
clause  re-affirms  that  the  good  man's  righteousness 
endures  for  ever.  The  final  clauses  of  both  verses 
also  correspond,  in  so  far  as,  in  the  former  psalm, 
God's  Name  is  represented  as  "  holy  and  dread  " — i.e., 
the  total  impression  made  by  His  deeds  exalts  Him 
— and  in  the  latter,  the  righteous  man's  "  horn  "  is 
represented  as  "exalted  in  glory"  or  honour — i.e.,  the 
total  impression  made  by  his  deeds  exalts  ///;;/.  Paul 
quotes  the  two  former  clauses  of  ver.  9  in  2  Cor.  ix.  9 
as  involving  the  truth  that  Christian  giving  does  not 
impoverish.  The  exercise  of  a  disposition  strengthens 
it  ;  and  God  takes  care  that  the  means  of  beneficence 
shall  not  be  wanting  to  him  who  has  the  spirit  of  it. 
The  later  Jewish  use  of  "  righteousness  "  as  a  synonym 
for  almsgiving  has  probably  been  influenced  by  this 
psalm,  in  which  beneficence  is  the  principal  trait  in 
the  righteous  man's  character,  but  there  is  no  reason 


204  THE  PSALMS 


for  supposing  that  the  psalmist  uses  the  word  in  that 
restricted  sense. 

Ver.  lO  is  not  parallel  with  the  last  verse  of  Psalm 
cxi.,  which  stands,  as  we  have  seen,  somewhat  beyond 
the  scope  of  the  rest  of  that  psalm.  It  gives  one  brief 
glimpse  of  the  fate  of  the  evil-doer,  in  opposition  to 
the  loving  picture  of  the  blessedness  of  the  righteous. 
Thus  it  too  is  rather  beyond  the  immediate  object  of 
the  psalm  of  which  it  forms  part.  The  wicked  sees,  in 
contrast  with  the  righteous  man's  seeing  in  ver.  8.  The 
one  looks  with  peace  on  the  short  duration  of  antago- 
nistic power,  and  rejoices  that  there  is  a  God  of 
recompenses  ;  the  other  grinds  his  teeth  in  envious 
rage,  as  he  beholds  the  perpetuity  of  the  righteous.  He 
"  shall  melt  away,"  i.e.,  in  jealousy  or  despair.  Oppo- 
sition to  goodness,  since  it  is  enmity  towards  God,  is 
self-condemned  to  impotence  and  final  failure.  Desires 
turned  for  satisfaction  elsewhere  than  to  God  are  sure 
to  perish.  The  sharp  contrast  between  the  righteous- 
ness of  the  good  man,  which  endures  for  ever,  in  his 
steadfast  because  trustful  heart,  and  the  crumbling 
schemes  and  disappointed  hopes  which  gnaw  the  life 
of  the  man  whose  aims  go  athwart  God's  will,  solemnly 
proclaims  an  eternal  truth.  This  psalm,  like  Psalm  i., 
touches  the  two  poles  of  possible  human  experience, 
in  its  first  and  last  words,  beginning  with  "  happy  the 
man  "  and  ending  with  "  shall  perish." 


PSALM   CXIII. 

Hallelujah. 

1  Praise,  ye  servants  of  Jehovah, 
Praise  the  name  of  Jehovah. 

2  Be  the  name  of  Jehovah  blessed 
From  henceforth  and  for  evermore  ! 

3  From  the  rising  of  the  sun  to  its  going  down. 
Praised  be  the  name  of  Jehovah. 

4  High  above  all  nations  is  Jehovah, 
Above  the  heavens  His  glory. 

5  "Who  is  like  Jehovah  our  God  ? 
Who  sits  enthroned  on  high, 

6  Who  looks  far  below 

On  the  heavens  and  on  the  earth  ; 

7  W^ho  raises  the  helpless  from  the  dust, 
From  the  rubbish-heap  He  lifts  the  needy, 

8  To  seat  him  with  nobles, 
W^ith  the  nobles  of  His  people  ; 

9  Who  seats  the  barren  [woman]  in  a  house, 
— A  glad  mother  of  her  children. 

THIS  pure  burst  of  praise  is  the  first  of  the  psalms 
composing  the  Hallel,  which  was  sung  at  the 
three  great  feasts  (Passover,  Pentecost,  and  the  Feast 
of  Tabernacles),  as  well  as  at  the  festival  of  Dedication 
and  at  the  new  moons.  "  In  the  domestic  celebration  of 
the  Passover  night  '  the  Hallel '  is  divided  into  two 
parts;  the  one  half,  Psalms  cxiii.,  cxiv.,  being  sung 
before  the  repast,  before  the  emptying  of  the  second 
festal  cup,  and  the  other  half.  Psalms  cxv.-cxviii.,  after 

205 


2o6  THE  PSALMS 

the  repast,  alter  the  filhng  of  the  fourth  cup,  to  which 
the  '  having  sung  an  hymn '  in  Matt.  xxvi.  30,  Mark 
xiv.  26,  .   .  .  fnay  refer  "  (Delitzsch,  ///  /oc). 

Three  strophes  of  three  verses  each  may  be  recog- 
nised, of  which  the  first  summons  Israel  to  praise 
Jehovah,  and  reaches  out  through  all  time  and  over  all 
space,  in  longing  that  God's  name  may  be  known  and 
praised.  The  second  strophe  (vv.  4-6)  magnifies  God's 
exalted  greatness ;  while  the  third  (vv.  7-9)  adores 
His  condescension,  manifested  in  His  stooping  to  lift 
the  lowly.  The  second  and  third  of  these  strophes, 
however,  overlap  in  the  song,  as  the  facts  which  they 
celebrate  do.  God's  loftiness  can  never  be  adequately 
measured,  unless  His  condescension  is  taken  into 
account ;  and  His  condescension  never  sufficiently 
wondered  at,   unless   His  loftiness  is  felt. 

The  call  to  praise  is  addressed  to  Israel,  whose 
designation  "servants  of  Jehovah"  recalls  Isaiah  II. 's 
characteristic  use  of  that  name  in  the  singular  number 
for  the  nation.  With  strong  emphasis,  the  name  of 
Jehovah  is  declared  as  the  theme  of  praise.  God's 
revelation  of  His  character  by  deed  and  word  must 
precede  man's  thanksgiving.  They,  to  whom  that 
Name  has  been  entrusted,  by  their  reception  of  His 
mercies  are  bound  to  ring  it  out  to  all  the  world.  And 
in  the  Name  itself,  there  lies  enshrined  the  certainty 
that  through  all  ages  it  shall  be  blessed,  and  in  every 
spot  lit  by  the  sun  shall  shine  as  a  brighter  light,  and 
be  hailed  with  praises.  The  psalmist  has  learned  the 
world-wide  significance  of  Israel's  position  as  the 
depository  of  the  Name,  and  the  fair  vision  of  a 
universal  adoration  of  it  fills  his  heart.  Ver.  3  b  may 
be  rendered  "  worthy  to  be  praised  is  the  name,"  but 
the  context  seems  to  suggest  the  rendering  above. 


cxiii.J  THE  PSALMS  207 


The  infinite  exaltation  of  Jehovah  above  all  dwellers 
on  this  low  earth  and  above  the  very  heavens  does  not 
lift  Him  too  high  for  man's  praise,  for  it  is  wedded  to 
condescension  as  infinite.  Incomparable  is  He  ;  but 
still  adoration  can  reach  Him,  and  men  do  not  clasp 
mist,  but  solid  substance,  when  they  grasp  His  Name. 
That  incomparable  uniqueness  of  Jehovah  is  celebrated 
in  ver.  5  a  in  strains  borrowed  from  Exod.  xv.  ii,  while 
the  striking  description  of  loftiness  combined  with  con- 
descension in  vv.  5  b  and  6  resembles  Isa.  Ivii.  15. 
The  literal  rendering  of  vv.  5  b  and  6  a  is,  "  Who 
makes  high  to  sit,  Who  makes  low  to  behold,"  which  is 
best  understood  as  above.  It  may  be  questioned  whether 
**  On  the  heavens  and  on  the  earth  "  designates  the 
objects  on  which  His  gaze  is  said  to  be  turned ;  or 
whether,  as  some  understand  the  construction,  it  is  to 
be  taken  with  "  Who  is  like  Jehovah  our  God  ?  "  the 
intervening  clauses  being  parenthetical  ;  or  whether,  as 
others  prefer,  **  in  heaven  "  points  back  to  "  enthroned 
on  high,"  and  "  on  earth  "  to  "  looks  far  below."  But 
the  construction  which  regards  the  totality  of  created 
things,  represented  by  the  familiar  phrase  "  the  heavens 
and  the  earth,"  as  being  the  objects  on  which  Jehovah 
looks  down  from  His  inconceivable  loftiness,  accords 
best  with  the  context  and  yields  an  altogether  worthy 
meaning.  Transcendent  elevation,  condescension,  and 
omniscience  are  blended  in  the  poet's  thought.  So 
high  is  Jehovah  that  the  highest  heavens  are  far 
beneath  Him,  and,  unless  His  gaze  were  all-discerning, 
would  be  but  a  dim  speck.  That  He  should  enter  into 
relations  with  creatures,  and  that  there  should  be 
creatures  for  Him  to  enter  into  relations  with,  are  due 
to  His  stooping  graciousness.  These  far-darting  looks 
are  looks  of  tenderness,  and  signify   care   as   well  as 


2o8  THE  PSALMS 


knowledge.       Since    all    things    lie    in    His    sight,    all 
receive  from  His  hand. 

The  third  strophe  pursues  the  thought  of  the  Divine 
condescension  as  especially  shown  in  stooping  to  the 
dejected  and  helpless  and  lifting  them.  The  effect  of 
the  descent  of  One  so  high  must  be  to  raise  the  lowli- 
ness to  which  He  bends.  The  words  in  vv.  7,  8,  are 
quoted  from  Hannah's  song  (i  Sam.  ii.  8).  Probably 
the  singer  has  in  his  mind  Israel's  restoration  from  exile, 
that  great  act  in  which  Jehovah  had  shown  His  con- 
descending loftiness,  and  had  lifted  His  helpless  people 
as  from  the  ash-heap,  where  they  lay  as  outcasts.  The 
same  event  seems  to  be  referred  to  in  ver.  9,  under 
a  metaphor  suggested  by  the  story  of  Hannah,  whose 
words  have  just  been  quoted.  The  "  barren  "  is  Israel 
(comp.  Isa.  liv.  i).  The  expression  in  the  original  is 
somewhat  obscure.  It  stands  literally  "  the  barren  of 
the  house,"  and  is  susceptible  of  different  explanations ; 
but  probably  the  simplest  is  to  regard  it  as  a  contracted 
expression  for  the  unfruitful  wife  in  a  house,  "  a  house- 
wife, but  yet  not  a  mother.  Such  an  one  has  in  her 
husband's  house  no  sure  position.  ...  If  God  bestows 
children  upon  her,  He  by  that  very  fact  makes  her  for 
the  first  time  thoroughly  at  home  and  rooted  in  her 
husband's  house "  (Delitzsch,  /;/  /oc).  The  joy  of 
motherhood  is  tenderly  touched  in  the  closing  line,  in 
which  the  definite  article  is  irregularly  prefixed  to 
"sons,"  as  if  the  poet  "points  with  his  finger  to  the 
children  with  whom  God  blesses  her  "  (Delitzsch,  ii.s.). 
Thus  Israel,  with  her  restored  children  about  her,  is 
secure  in  her  home.  That  restoration  was  the  signal 
instance  of  Jehovah's  condescension  and  delight  in 
raising  the  lowly.  It  was  therefore  the  great  occasion 
for  world-wide  and  age-long  praise. 


cxiii.]  TIIF.    PSALMS  209 

The  singer  did  not  know  how  far  it  would  be  tran- 
scended by  a  more  wonderful,  more  heart-touching 
manifestation  of  stooping  love,  when  "  The  Word  became 
flesh."  How  much  more  exultant  and  world-filling 
should  be  the  praises  from  the  lips  of  those  who  do 
know  how  low  that  Word  has  stooped,  how  high  He 
has  risen,  and  how  surely  all  who  hold  His  hand  will 
be  lifted  from  an}'  ash-heap  and  set  on  His  throne, 
sharers  in  the  royalty  of  Him  who  has  been  partaker 
of  their  weakness ! 


VOL.   III.  14 


PSALM    CXIV. 

1  When  Israel  went  forth  from  Egj'pt, 

The  house  of  Jacob  from  a  stammering  people, 

2  Judah  became  His  sanctuary, 
Israel  His  dominion. 

3  The  sea  beheld  and  iled, 
Jordan  turned  back. 

4  The  mountains  leaped  like  rams, 
The  hills  like  the  sons  of  a  flock. 

5  What  ails  thee,  Sea,  that  thou  fleest? 
Jordan,  that  thou  art  turned  back? 

6  Mountains,  that  ye  leap  like  rams  ? 
Hills,  like  the  sons  of  a  flock  ? 

7  At  the  presence  of  the  Lord,  writhe  in  pangs,  O  earth. 
At  the  presence  of  the  God  of  Jacob, 

8  Who  turns  the  rock  into  a  pool  of  water, 
The  flint  into  a  fountain  of  waters. 

IT  is  possible  that  in  this  psalm  Israel,  restored  from 
Babylon,  is  looking  back  to  the  earlier  Exodus, 
and  thrilling  with  the  great  thought  that  that  old  past 
lives  again  in  the  present.  Such  a  historical  parallel 
would  minister  courage  and  hope.  But  the  eyes  of 
psalmists  were  ever  turning  to  the  great  days  when  a 
nation  was  born,  and  there  are  no  data  in  this  psalm 
which  connect  it  with  a  special  period,  except  certain 
peculiarities  in  the  form  of  the  words  "turns"  and 
"  fountain "  in  ver.  8,  both  of  which  have  a  vowel 
appended  ( /  in  the  former,  o  in  the  latter  word),  which 
is    probably    an    archaism,    used    by    a   late    poet    for 


cxiv.]  THE  PSALMS 


ornament's   sake.     The    same    peculiarity  is   found    in 
Psalm  cxiii.  5-9,  where  it  occurs  five  times. 

A  familiar  theme  is  treated  here  with  singular  force 
and  lyric  fervour.  The  singer  does  not  heap  details 
together,  but  grasps  one  great  thought.  To  him  there 
are  but  two  outstanding  characteristics  of  the  Exodus 
one,  its  place  and  purpose  as  the  beginning  of  Israel's 
prerogative,  and  another,  its  apocalypse  of  the  Majesty 
of  Jehovah,  the  Ruler  of  Nature  in  its  mightiest  forms. 
These  he  hymns,  and  then  leaves  them  to  make  their 
own  impression.  He  has  no  word  of  "  moral,"  no 
application,  counsel,  warning,  or  encouragement  to  give. 
Whoso  will  can  draw  these.  Enough  for  him  to  lift 
his  soaring  song,  and  to  check  it  into  silence  in  the 
midst  of  its  full  music.  He  would  be  a  consummate 
artist,  if  he  were  not  something  much  better.  The 
limpid  clearness,  the  eloquent  brevity  of  the  psalm  are 
not  more  obvious  than  its  masterly  structure.  Its  four 
pairs  of  verses,  each  laden  with  one  thought,  the 
dramatic  vividness  of  the  sudden  questions  in  the  third 
pair,  the  skilful  suppression  of  the  Divine  name  till  the 
close,  where  it  is  pealed  out  in  full  tones  of  triumph, 
make  this  little  psalm  a  gem. 

In  vv.  I,  2,  the  slighting  glance  at  the  land  left  by 
the  ransomed  people  is  striking.  The  Egyptians  are  to 
this  singer  "  a  stammering  people,"  talking  a  language 
which  sounded  to  him  barely  articulate.  The  word 
carries  a  similar  contempt  to  that  in  the  Greek  "  bar- 
barian," which  imitates  the  unmeaning  babble  of  a 
foreign  tongue.  To  such  insignificance  in  the  psalmist's 
mind  had  the  once  dreaded  oppressors  sunk  !  The 
great  fact  about  the  Exodus  was  that  it  was  the  birth- 
day of  the  Nation,  the  beginning  of  its  entrance  on  its 
high  prerogatives.     If  the   consecration    of  Judah   as 


THE  PSALMS 


"  His  sanctuary  "  took  place  when  Israel  went  forth 
from  Egypt,  there  can  be  no  reference  to  the  later 
erection  of  the  material  sanctuary  in  Jerusalem,  and 
the  names  of  Judah  and  Israel  must  both  apply  to  the 
people,  not  to  the  land,  which  it  would  be  an  anachronism 
to  introduce  here.  That  deliverance  from  Egypt  was 
in  order  to  God's  dwelling  in  Israel,  and  thereby  sancti- 
fying or  setting  it  apart  to  Himself,  "a  kingdom  of 
priests  and  an  holy  nation."  Dwelling  in  the  midst  of 
them,  He  wrought  wonders  for  them,  as  the  psalm  goes 
on  to  hymn ;  but  this  is  the  grand  foundation  fact,  that 
Israel  was  brought  out  of  bondage  to  be  God's  temple 
and  kingdom.  The  higher  deliverance  of  which  that 
Exodus  is  a  foreshadowing  is,  in  like  manner,  intended 
to  effect  a  still  more  wonderful  and  intimate  indwelling 
of  God  in  His  Church.  Redeemed  humanity  is  meant 
to  be  God's  temple  and  realm. 

The  historical  substratum  for  vv.  3,  4,  is  the  twin 
miracles  of  drying  up  the  Red  Sea  and  the  Jordan,  which 
began  and  closed  the  Exodus,  and  the  "quaking"  of 
Sinai  at  the  Theophany  accompanying  the  giving  of  the 
Law,  These  physical  facts  are  imaginatively  conceived 
as  the  effects  of  panic  produced  by  some  dread  vision  ; 
and  the  psalmist  heightens  his  representation  by  leav- 
ing unnamed  the  sight  which  dried  the  sea,  and  shook 
the  steadfast  granite  cliffs.  In  the  third  pair  of  verses 
he  changes  his  point  of  view  from  that  of  narrator  to 
that  of  a  wondering  spectator,  and  asks  what  terrible 
thing,  unseen  by  him,  strikes  such  awe  ?  All  is  silent 
now,  and  the  wonders  long  since  past.  The  sea  rolls 
its  waters  again  over  the  place  where  Pharaoh's  host 
lie.  Jordan  rushes  down  its  steep  valley  as  of  old, 
the  savage  peaks  of  Sinai  know  no  tremors ; — but  these 
momentary  wonders  proclaimed  an  eternal  truth. 


cxiv.]  THE  PSALMS  213 


So  the  psalmist  answers  his  own  question,  and  goes 
beyond  it  in  summoning  the  whole  earth  to  tremble,  as 
sea,  river,  and  mountain  had  done,  for  the  same  Vision 
before  which  they  had  shrunk  is  present  to  all  Nature. 
Now  the  psalmist  can  peal  forth  the  Name  of  Him,  the 
sight  of  whom  wrought  these  wonders.  It  is  "  the 
Lord,"  the  Sovereign  Ruler,  whose  omnipotence  and 
plastic  power  over  all  creatures  were  shown  when  His 
touch  made  rock  and  flint  forget  their  solidity  and 
become  fluid,  even  as  His  will  made  the  waves  solid  as  a 
wall,  and  His  presence  shook  Sinai.  He  is  still  Lord  of 
Nature.  And,  more  blessed  still,  the  Lord  of  Nature  is 
the  God  of  Jacob.  Both  these  names  were  magnified 
in  the  two  miracles  (which,  like  those  named  in  ver.  3, 
are  a  pair)  of  giving  drink  to  the  thirsty  pilgrims. 
With  that  thought  of  omnipotence  blended  with  gracious 
care,  the  singer  ceases.  He  has  said  enough  to  breed 
faith  and  hearten  courage,  and  he  drops  his  harp  with- 
out a  formal  close.  The  effect  is  all  the  greater,  though 
some  critics  prosaically  insist  that  the  text  is  defective 
and  put  a  row  or  two  of  asterisks  at  the  end  of  ver.  8, 
**  since  it  is  not  discernible  what  purpose  the  represen- 
tation [i.e.y  the  whole  psalm]  is  to  serve  "  (Graetz)  ! 


PSALM    CXV. 

1  Not  to  us,  not  to  us,  Jehovah, 
But  to  Thy  name  give  glory, 

For  the  sake  of  Thy  lovingkiiiduess,  for  the  sake  of  Thy  troth, 

2  Why  should  the  nations  say, 
"Where,  then,  is  their  God?" 

3  But  our  God  is  in  the  heavens, 
Whatsoever  He  willed.  He  has  done. 

4  Their  idols  are  silver  and  gold. 
The  work  of  the  hands  of  men. 

5  A  mouth  is  theirs — and  they  cannot  speak, 
Eyes  are  theirs — and  they  cannot  see, 

6  Ears  are  theirs — and  they  cannot  hear, 
A  nose  is  theirs — and  they  cannot  smell. 

7  Their  hands — [with  them]  they  cannot  handle 
Their  feet— [with  them]  they  cannot  walk. 
Not  a  sound  can  they  utter  with  their  throat. 

8  Like  them  shall  those  who  make  them  be, 
[Even]  every  one  that  trusts  in  them. 

9  Israel,  trust  thou  in  Jehovah, 

Their  help  and  shield  is  He. 

10  House  of  Aaron,  trust  in  Jehovah, 

Their  help  and  shield  is  He. 

11  Ye  who  fear  Jehovah,  trust  in  Jehovah, 

Their  help  and  shield  is  He. 

12  Jehovah  has  remembered  us — He  will  bless, 
He  will  bless  the  house  of  Israel, 

He  will  bless  the  house  of  Aaron, 

13  He  will  bless  those  who  fear  Jehovah, 
The  small  as  well  as  the  great. 

214 


ex  v.]  THE  PSALMS  215 

14  Jehovah  will  add  to  you, 

To  you  and  to  your  children. 

15  Blessed  be  ye  of  Jehovah, 
Who  made  heaven  and  earth  ! 

16  The  heavens  are  Jehovah's  heavens. 

But  the  earth  He  has  given  to  the  children  of  men. 

17  It  is  not  the  dead  who  praise  Jehovah, 
Neither  all  they  who  descend  into  silence. 

18  But  we — we  will  bless  Jehovah, 
From  henceforth  and  for  evermcwe. 

Hallelujah. 

ISRAEL  is  in  straits  from  heathen  enemies,  and  cries 
to  Jehovah  to  vindicate  His  own  Name  by  dehvering 
it.  Strengthened  by  faith,  which  has  been  stung  into 
action  by  taunts  aimed  at  both  the  nation  and  its 
Protector,  the  psahnist  triumphantly  contrasts  Jehovah 
in  the  heavens,  moving  all  things  according  to  His  will, 
with  idols  which  had  the  semblance  of  powers  the 
reality  of  which  was  not  theirs.  Sarcastic  contempt, 
indignation,  and  profound  insight  into  the  effect  of 
idolatry  in  assimilating  the  worshipper  to  his  god, 
unite  in  the  picture  (vv.  3-8).  The  tone  swiftly 
changes  into  a  summons  to  withdraw  trust  from  such 
vanities,  and  set  it  on  Jehovah,  who  can  and  will  bless 
His  servants  (vv.  9-15);  and  the  psalm  closes  with 
recognition  of  Jehovah's  exaltation  and  beneficence, 
and  with  the  vow  to  return  blessing  to  Him  for  the 
blessings,  already  apprehended  by  faith,  which  He 
bestows  on  Israel. 

Obviously  the  psalm  is  intended  for  temple  worship, 
and  was  meant  to  be  sung  by  various  voices.  The 
distribution  of  its  parts  may  be  doubtful.  Ewald  would 
regard  vv.  i-ii  as  the  voice  of  the  congregation  while 
the  sacrifice  was  being  offered;  vv.  12-15  ^^  that  of 
the   priest   announcing  its  acceptance;  and  vv.    16-18 


2i6  THE  PSALMS 


as  again  the  song  of  the  congregation.  But  there  is 
plainly  a  change  of  singer  at  ver.  9 ;  and  the  threefold 
summons  to  trust  in  Jehovah  in  the  first  clauses  of 
vv.  9,  10,  II,  may  with  some  probability  be  allotted  to 
a  ministering  official,  while  the  refrain,  in  the  second 
clause  of  each  of  these  verses,  may  be  regarded  as 
pealed  out  with  choral  force.  The  solo  voice  next 
pronounces  the  benediction  on  the  same  three  classes 
to  whom  it  had  addressed  the  call  to  trust.  And  the 
congregation,  thus  receiving  Jehovah's  blessing,  sends 
back  its  praise,  as  sunshine  from  a  mirror,  in  vv.  16-18. 

The  circumstances  presupposed  in  the  psalm  suit 
many  periods  of  Israel's  history.  But  probably  this, 
like  the  neighbouring  psalms,  is  a  product  of  the  early 
days  after  the  return  from  Babylon,  when  the  feeble 
settlers  were  ringed  round  by  scoffing  foes,  and  had 
brought  back  from  exile  a  more  intimate  knowledge 
and  contemptuous  aversion  for  idols  and  idolatry  than 
had  before  been  felt  in  Israel.  Cheyne  takes  the  psalm 
to  be  Maccabean,  but  acknowledges  that  there  is  nothing 
in  it  to  fix  that  date,  which  he  seeks  to  establish  for 
the  whole  group  mainly  because  he  is  sure  of  it  for 
one  member  of  the  group,  namely.  Psalm  cxviii.  {Orig. 
of  P salt.,  18  sq.). 

The  prayer  in  vv.  i,  2,  beautifully  blends  profound 
consciousness  of  demerit  and  confidence  that,  unworthy 
as  Israel  is,  its  welfare  is  inextricably  interwoven  with 
Jehovah's  honour.  It  goes  very  deep  into  the  logic 
of  supplication,  even  though  the  thing  desired  is  but 
deliverance  from  human  foes.  Men  win  their  pleas 
with  God,  when  they  sue  /«  forma  pauperis.  There 
must  be  thorough  abnegation  of  all  claims  based  on 
self,  before  there  can  be  faithful  urging  of  the  one 
prevalent   motive,  God's  care   for   His  own   fair  fame. 


cxv.]  THE  PSALMS  217 

The  under  side  of  faith  is  self-distrust,  the  upper  side 
is  affiance  on  Jehovah.  God  has  given  pledges  for  His 
future  by  His  past  acts  of  self-revelation,  and  cannot 
but  be  true  to  His  Name.  His  lovingkindness  is  no 
transient  mood,  but  rests  on  the  solid  basis  of  His 
faithfulness,  like  flowers  rooted  in  the  clefts  of  a  rock. 
The  taunts  that  had  tortured  another  psalmist  long 
before  (Psalm  xlii.  3)  have  been  flung  now  from  heathen 
lips,  with  still  more  bitterness,  and  call  for  Jehovah's 
thunderous  answer.  If  Israel  goes  down  before  its 
foes,  the  heathen  will  have  warrant  to  scoff. 

But,  from  their  bitter  tongues  and  his  own  fears, 
the  singer  turns,  in  the  name  of  the  sorely  harassed 
congregation,  to  ring  out  the  proclamation  which  answers 
the  heathen  taunt,  before  God  answers  it  by  deeds. 
"  Our  God  is  in  heaven  " — that  is  where  He  is  ;  and 
He  is  not  too  far  away^to  make  His  hand  felt  on  earth. 
He  is  no  impotent  image;  He  does  what  He  wills, 
executing  to  the  last  tittle  His  purposes  ;  and  conversely, 
He  wills  what  He  does,  being  constrained  by  no 
outward  force,  but  drawing  the  determinations  of  His 
actions  from  the  depths  of  His  being.  Therefore,  what- 
ever evil  has  befallen  Israel  is  not  a  sign  that  it  has 
lost  Him,  but  a  proof  that  He  is  near.  The  brief, 
pregnant  assertion  of  God's  omnipotence  and  sovereign 
freedom,  which  should  tame  the  heathens'  arrogance 
and  teach  the  meaning  of  Israel's  disasters,  is  set  in 
eloquent  opposition  to  the  fiery  indignation  which 
dashes  off  the  sarcastic  picture  of  an  idol.  The  tone 
of  the  description  is  like  that  of  the  manufacture  of  an 
image  in  Isa.  xliv.  9-20.  Psalm  cxxxv.  15-18  repeats 
it  verbatim.  The  vehemence  of  scorn  in  these  verses 
suggests  a  previous,  compelled  familiarit}'  with  idolatry 
such    as    the    exiles    had.       It    corresponds    with    the 


2i8  THE  PSALMS 


revolution  which  that  familiarity  produced,  by  ex- 
tirpating for  ever  the  former  hankering  after  the  gods 
of  the  nations.  No  doubt,  there  are  higher  weapons 
than  sarcasm  ;  and,  no  doubt,  a  Babylonian  wise  man 
could  have  drawn  distinctions  between  the  deity  and 
its  image,  but  such  cobwebs  are  too  fine-spun  for  rough 
fingers  to  handle,  and  the  idolatry  both  of  pagans  and 
of  Christians  identifies  the  two. 

But  a  deeper  note  is  struck  in  ver.  8,  in  the  assertion 
that,  as  is  the  god,  so  becomes  the  worshipper.  The 
psalmist  probably  means  chiefly,  if  not  exclusively,  in 
respect  to  the  impotence  just  spoken  of  So  the 
worshipper  and  his  idol  are  called  by  the  same  name 
(Isa,  xliv.  9,  vanity),  and,  in  the  tragic  summary  of 
Israel's  sins  and  punishment  in  2  Kings  xvii.  15,  it  is 
said,  that  "  they  followed  after  vanity  and  became  vain." 
But  the  statement  is  true  in  a  wider  sense.  Worship  is 
sure  to  breed  likeness.  A  lustful,  cruel  god  will  make 
his  devotees  so.  Men  make  gods  after  their  own 
image,  and,  when  made,  the  gods  make  men  after  theirs. 
The  same  principle  which  degrades  the  idolater  lifts  the 
Christian  to  the  likeness  of  Christ.  The  aim  and  effect 
of  adoration  is  assimilation. 

Probably  the  congregation  is  now  silent,  and  a 
single  voice  takes  up  the  song,  with  the  call,  which  the 
hollowness  of  idolatry  makes  so  urgent  and  reasonable, 
to  trust  in  Jehovah,  not  in  vanities.  It  is  thrice  re- 
peated, being  first  addressed  to  the  congregation, 
then  to  the  house  of  Aaron,  and  finally  to  a  wider 
circle,  those  who  "  fear  Jehovah."  These  are  most 
naturally  understood  as  proselytes,  and,  in  the  promi- 
nence given  to  them,  we  see  the  increasing  consciousness 
in  Israel  of  its  Divine  destination  to  be  God's  witness 
to  the  world.      Exile  had  widened  the  horizon,  and  fair 


cxv.]  THE  PSALMS  219 

hopes  that  men  who  were  not  of  Israel's  blood  would 
share  Israel's  faith  and  shelter  under  the  wings  of 
Israel's  God  stirred  in  many  hearts.  The  crash  of 
the  triple  choral  answer  to  the  summons  comes  with 
magnificent  effect,  in  the  second  clauses  of  vv.  9,  10,  1 1, 
triumphantly  telling  how  safe  are  they  who  take  refuge 
behind  that  strong  buckler.  The  same  threefold 
division  into  Israel,  house  of  Aaron,  and  they  who  fear 
Jehovah  occurs  in  Psalm  cxviii.  2-4,  and,  with  the 
addition  of  "  house  of  Levi,"  in  Psalm  cxxxv. 

Promises  of  blessing  occupy  vv.  12-15,  which  may 
probably  have  been  sung  by  priests,  or  rather  by 
Levites,  the  musicians  of  the  Temple  service.  In  any 
case,  these  benedictions  are  authoritative  assurances 
from  commissioned  lips,  not  utterances  of  hopeful  faith. 
They  are  Jehovah's  response  to  Israel's  obedience  to 
the  preceding  summons;  swiftly  sent,  as  His  answers 
ever  are.  Calm  certainty  that  He  will  bless  comes  at 
once  into  the  heart  that  deeply  feels  that  He  is  its 
shield,  however  His  manifestation  of  outward  help  may 
be  lovingly  delayed.  The  blessing  is  parted  among 
those  who  had  severally  been  called  to  trust,  and  had 
obeyed  the  call.  Universal  blessings  have  special 
destinations.  The  fiery  mass  breaks  up  into  cloven 
tongues,  and  sits  on  each.  Distinctions  of  position 
make  no  difference  in  its  reception.  Small  vessels  are 
filled,  and  great  ones  can  be  no  more  than  full.  Cedars 
and  hyssop  rejoice  in  impartial  sunshine.  Israel,  when 
blessed,  increases  in  number,  and  there  is  an  inheritance 
of  good  from  generation  to  generation.  The  seal  of 
such  hopes  is  the  Name  of  Him  who  blesses,  "the 
Maker  of  heaven  and  earth,"  to  whose  omnipotent, 
universal  sway  these  impotent  gods  in  human  form  are 
as  a  foil. 


THE  PSALMS 


Finall}^,  we  may  hear  the  united  voices  of  the  con- 
gregation thus  blessed  breaking  into  full-throated 
praise  in  vv.  16-18.  As  in  ver.  3  God's  dwelling  in 
heaven  symbolised  His  loftiness  and  power,  so  here 
the  thought  that  "the  heavens  are  Jehovah's  heavens" 
implies  both  the  worshippers'  trust  in  His  mighty  help 
and  their  lowliness  even  in  trust.  The  earth  is  man's, 
but  by  Jehovah's  gift.  Therefore  its  inhabitants  should 
remember  the  terms  of  their  tenure,  and  thankfully  re- 
cognise His  giving  love.  But  heaven  and  earth  do  not 
include  all  the  universe.  There  is  another  region,  the 
land  of  silence,  whither  the  dead  descend.  No  voice  of 
praise  wakes  its  dumb  sleep.  (Comp.  Isa.  xxxviii.  18,  19.) 
That  pensive  contemplation,  on  which  the  light  of  the 
New  Testament  assurance  of  Immortality  has  not  shone, 
gives  keener  edge  to  the  bliss  of  present  ability  to 
praise  Jehovah.  We  who  know  that  to  die  is  to  have 
a  new  song  put  into  immortal  lips  may  still  be  stimu- 
lated to  fill  our  brief  lives  here  with  the  music  of 
thanksgiving,  by  the  thought  that,  so  far  as  our  witness 
for  God  to  men  is  concerned,  most  of  us  will  "  descend 
into  silence  "  when  we  pass  into  the  grave.  Therefore 
we  should  shun  silence,  and  bless  Him  while  we  live 
here. 


PSALM    CXVI. 

1  I  love — for  Jehovah  hears 
My  voice,  my  supplications. 

2  For  He  has  bent  His  ear  to  me, 
And  throughout  my  days  will  I  call. 

3  The  cords  of  death  ringed  me  round, 
And  the  narrows  of  Sheol  found  me, 
Distress  and  trouble  did  I  find. 

4  And  on  the  name  of  Jehovah  I  called, 

"  I  beseech  Thee,  Jehovah,  deliver  my  soul." 

5  Gracious  is  Jehovah  and  righteous. 
And  our  God  is  compassionate. 

6  The  keeper  of  the  simple  is  Jehovah, 
I  was  brought  low  and  He  saved  me. 

7  Return,  my  soul,  to  thy  rest. 

For  Jehovah  has  lavished  good  on  thee. 

8  For  Thou  hast  delivered  my  soul  from  death, 
My  eye  from  tears. 

My  foot  from  stumbling. 

9  I  shall  walk  before  Jehovah  in  the  lands  of  the  living 

10  I  believed  when  I  [thus]  spake, 
"I  am  greatly  aftlicted.'' 

11  I  said  in  my  agitation,  > 
"All  men  deceive." 

12  What  shall  I  return  to  Jehovah, 

[For]  all  His  goodness  lavished  on  me  ? 

13  The  cup  of  salvations  will  I  lift, 

And  on  the  name  of  Jehovah  will  I  call. 

14  My  vows  will  I  repay  to  Jehovah, 

Oh !  may  I  [do  it]  before  all  His  people ! 

15  Precious  in  the  eyes  of  Jehovah 
Is  the  death  of  His  favoured  ones. 

221 


THE  PSALMS 


i6  I  beseech  Thee,  Jehovah^for  I  am  Thy  servant, 
I  am  Thy  servant,  the  son  of  Thy  handmaid, 
Thou  hast  loosed  my  bonds. 

17  To  Thee  will  I  offer  a  sacrifice  of  thanksgiving. 
And  on  the  name  of  Jehovah  will  I  call. 

18  My  vows  will  I  repay  to  Jehovah, 

Oh !  may  I  [do  it]  before  all  His  people  ! 

19  In  the  courts  of  the  house  of  Jehovah, 
In  the  midst  of  thee,  Jerusalem. 

Hallelujah. 

THIS  psalm  is  intensely  individual.  "I,"  "me," 
or  "my"  occurs  in  every  verse  but  two  (vv.  5, 
19).  The  singer  is  but  recently  delivered  from  some 
peril,  and  his  song  heaves  with  a  ground-swell  of  emotion 
after  the  storm.  Hupfeld  takes  offence  at  its  "  continual 
alternation  of  petition  and  recognition  of  the  Divine 
beneficence  and  deliverance,  or  vows  of  thanksgiving," 
but  surely  that  very  blending  is  natural  to  one  just 
rescued  and  still  panting  from  his  danger.  Certain 
grammatical  forms  indicate  a  late  date,  and  the  frequent 
allusions  to  earlier  psalms  point  in  the  same  direction. 
The  words  of  former  psalmists  were  part  of  this  singer's 
mental  furniture,  and  came  to  his  lips,  when  he  brought 
his  own  thanksgivings.  Hupfeld  thinks  it  "strange" 
that  "  such  a  patched-up  (zusammoigcstoppcltcr)  psalm  " 
has  "  imposed "  upon  commentators,  who  speak  of 
its  depth  and  tenderness  ;  it  is  perhaps  stranger  that 
its  use  of  older  songs  has  imposed  upon  so  good  a 
critic  and  hid  these  characteristics  from  him.  Four 
parts  may  be  discerned,  of  which  the  first  (vv.  1-4) 
mainly  describes  the  psalmist's  peril ;  the  second  (vv. 
5-9),  his  deliverance ;  the  third  glances  back  to  his 
alarm  and  thence  draws  reasons  for  his  vow  of  praise 
(vv.  10-14)  ;  ^nd  the  fourth  bases  the  same  vow  on  the 
remembrance  of  Jehovah's  having  loosed  his  bonds. 


cxvi.]  THE  PSALMS  223 

The  early  verses  of  Psalm  xviii.  obviously  colour  the 
psalmist's    description    of    his    distress.     That    psalm 
begins  with  an  expression  of  love  to  Jehovah,  which 
is  echoed  here,  though  a  different  word  is  employed. 
"  I  love  "  stands  in  ver.    i   without  an  object,  just  as 
"  I  will  call "  does  in  ver.  2,  and  "  I  believed  "  and  "  I 
spoke"  in  ver.    10.     Probably  "Thee"  has  fallen  out, 
which  would  be  the  more  easy,  as  the  next  word  begins 
with  the  letter  which  stands  for  it  in  Hebrew.     Cheyne 
follows  Graetz  in  the  conjectural  adoption  of  the  same 
beginning  as  in  ver.  10,  "  I  am  confident."     This  change 
necessitates  translating  the  following  "for"  as  "that," 
whereas  it  is  plainly  to  be  taken,  like  the  "  for  "  at  the 
beginning  of  ver.  2,  as  causal.     Ver.  3  is  moulded  on 
Psalm  xviii.  5,  with  a  modification  of  the  metaphors  by 
the  unusual  expression  "  the  narrows  of  Sheol."     The 
word  rendered  narrows  may  be  employed  simply  as  =: 
distress   or  straits,   but  it  is    allowable    to    take    it  as 
picturing  that  gloomy  realm  as  a  confined  gorge,  like 
the  throat  of  a  pass,  from  which  the  psalmist  could  find 
no  escape.     He  is  like  a  creature  caught  in  the  toils  of 
the   hunter  Death.     The   stern  rocks  of  a  dark  defile 
have  all  but  closed  upon  him,  but,  like  a  man  from  the 
bottom   of  a  pit,  he  can  send  out  one  cry  before  the 
earth  falls  in  and  buries  him.     He  cried  to  Jehovah, 
and  the  rocks  flung  his  voice  heavenwards.     Sorrow  is 
meant  to  drive  to  God.     When  cries  become  prayers, 
they    are    not    in    vain.       The    revealed    character    of 
Jehovah    is    the    ground    of  a    desperate   man's    hope. 
His  own  Name  is  a  plea  which  Jehovah  will  certainly 
honour.     Many  words  are  needless  when  peril  is  sore 
and  the  suppliant  is  sure  of  God.     To  name  Him  and 
to  cry  for  deliverance  are  enough.     "  I   beseech  Thee  " 
represents  a  particle  which  is  used  frequently  in  this 


224  THE  PSALMS 


psalm,  and  by  some  peculiarities  in  its  use  here  indi- 
cates a  late  date. 

The  psalmist  does  not  pause  to  say  definitely  that  he 
was  delivered,  but  breaks  into  the  celebration  of  the 
Name  on  which  he  had  called,  and  from  which  the 
certainty  of  an  answer  followed.  Since  Jehovah  is 
gracious,  righteous  (as  strictly  adhering  to  the  condi- 
tions He  has  laid  down),  and  merciful  (as  condescending 
in  love  to  lowly  and  imperfect  men),  there  can  be  no 
doubt  how  He  will  deal  with  trustful  suppliants.  The 
psalmist  turns  for  a  moment  from  his  own  experience 
to  sun  himself  in  the  great  thought  of  the  Name,  and 
thereby  to  come  into  touch  with  all  who  share  his  faith. 
The  cry  for  help  is  wrung  out  by  personal  need,  but  the 
answer  received  brings  into  fellowship  with  a  great 
multitude.  Jehovah's  character  leads  up  in  ver.  6  to  a 
broad  truth  as  to  His  acts,  for  it  ensures  that  He  can- 
not but  care  for  the  "  simple,"  whose  simplicity  lays 
them  open  to  assailants,  and  whose  single-hearted 
adhesion  to  God  appeals  unlailingly  to  His  heart. 
Happy  the  man  who,  like  the  psalmist,  can  give  con- 
firmation from  his  own  experience  to  the  broad  truths 
of  God's  protection  to  ingenuous  and  guileless  souls  ! 
Each  individual  may,  if  he  will,  thus  narrow  to  his  own 
use  the  widest  promises,  and  put  "  I  "  and  "  mc  "  wher- 
ever God  has  put  "whosoever."  If  he  does  he  will  be 
able  to  turn  his  own  experience  into  universal  maxims, 
and  encourage  others  to  put  "  whosoever  "  where  his 
grateful  heart  has  put  "  I  "  and  "  me." 

The  deliverance,  which  is  thus  the  direct  result  of 
the  Divine  character,  and  which  extends  to  all  the 
simple,  and  therefore  included  the  psalmist,  leads  to 
calm  repose.  The  singer  does  not  say  so  in  cold 
words,  but  beautifully  wooes  his  "  soul,"  his  sensitive 


cxvi.]  THE  PSALMS  225 

nature,  which  had  trembled  with  fear  in  death's  net,  to 
come  back  to  its  rest.  The  word  is  in  the  plural,  which 
may  be  only  another  indication  of  late  date,  but  is  more 
worthily  understood  as  expressing  the  completeness  of 
the  repose,  which  in  its  fulness  is  only  found  in  God, 
and  is  made  the  more  deep  by  contrast  with  previous 
"agitation." 

Vv.  8,  9,  are  quoted  from  Psalml  vi.  13  with  slight 
variations,  the  most  significant  of  which  is  the  change 
of  "  light "  into  "  lands."  It  is  noticeable  that  the 
Divine  deliverance  is  thus  described  as  surpassing  the 
psalmist's  petition.  He  asked,  "  Deliver  my  soul." 
Bare  escape  was  all  that  he  craved,  but  he  received, 
not  only  the  deliverance  of  his  soul  from  death,  but,  over 
and  above,  his  tears  were  wiped  away  by  a  loving 
hand,  his  feet  sta3'ed  by  a  strong  arm.  God  over- 
answers  trustful  cries,  and  does  not  give  the  minimum 
consistent  with  safety,  but  the  maximum  of  which  we 
are  capable.  What  shall  a  grateful  heart  do  with  such 
benefits  ?  "  I  will  walk  before  Jehovah  in  the  lands  of 
the  living,"  joyously  and  unconstraincdly  (for  so  the 
form  of  the  word  "  walk  "  implies),  as  ever  conscious  of 
that  presence  which  brings  blessedness  and  requires 
holiness.  The  paths  appointed  may  carry  the  traveller 
far,  but  into  whatever  lands  he  goe.s,  he  will  have  the 
same  glad  heart  within  to  urge  his  feet  and  the  same 
loving  eye  above  to  beam  guidance  on  him. 

The  third  part  (vv.  10-14)  recurs  to  the  psalmist's 
mood  in  his  trouble,  and  bases  on  the  retrospect  of  that 
and  of  God's  mercy  the  vow  of  praise.  Ver.  10  may 
be  variously  understood.  The  "  speaking "  may  be 
taken  as  referring  to  the  preceding  expressions  of  trust 
or  thanksgivings  for  deliverance.  The  sentiment  would 
then  be  that  the  psalmist  was  confident  that  he  should 

VOL.  Ill,  I  5 


2  26  THE  PSALMS 


one  day  thus  speak.  So  Cheyne  ;  or  the  rendering  may 
be  "  I  believed  in  that  I  spake  thus  " — />.,  that  he  spake 
those  trustful  words  of  ver.  9  was  the  result  of  sheer 
faith  (so  Ka}').  The  thing  spoken  may  also  be  the 
expressions  which  follow,  and  this  seems  to  yield  the 
most  satisfactory  meaning.  "  Even  when  I  said,  I  am 
afflicted  and  men  fail  me,  I  had  not  lost  my  faith."  He 
is  re-calling  the  agitation  which  shook  him,  but  feels 
that,  through  it  all,  there  was  an  unshaken  centre  of 
rest  in  God.  The  presence  of  doubt  and  fear  does  not 
prove  the  absence  of  trust.  There  may  live  a  spark  of 
it,  though  almost  buried  below  masses  of  cold  unbelief. 
What  he  said  was  the  complaint  that  he  was  greatly 
afflicted,  and  the  bitter  wail  that  all  men  deceive  or 
disappoint.  He  said  so  in  his  agitation  (Psalm  xxxi.  22). 
But  even  in  recognising  the  folly  of  trusting  in  men, 
he  was  in  some  measure  trusting  God,  and  the  trust, 
though  tremulous,  was  rewarded. 

Again  he  hurries  on  to  sing  the  issues  of  deliverance, 
without  waiting  to  describe  it.  That  little  dialogue  of  the 
devout  soul  with  itself  (vv.  12,  13)  goes  very  deep.  It 
is  an  illuminative  word  as  to  God's  character,  an  eman- 
cipating word  as  to  the  true  notion  of  service  to  Him, 
a  guiding  word  as  to  common  life.  For  it  declares  that 
men  honour  God  most  by  taking  His  gifts  with  recog- 
nition of  the  Giver,  and  that  the  return  which  He  in 
His  love  seeks  is  only  our  thankful  reception  of  His 
mercy.  A  giver  who  desires  but  these  results  is 
surely  Love.  A  religion  which  consists  first  in  accept- 
ing God's  gift  and  then  in  praising  by  lip  and  life  Him 
who  gives  banishes  the  religion  of  fear,  of  barter,  of 
unwelcome  restrictions  and  commands.  It  is  the  exact 
opposite  of  the  slavery  which  says,  "  Thou  art  an 
austere  man,   reaping  where  thou  didst  not  sow."     It 


cxvi.]  THE  PSALMS  227 


is  the  religion  of  which  the  initial  act  is  faith,  and  the 
continual  activity,  the  appropriation  of  God's  spiritual 
gifts.  In  daily  life  there  would  be  less  despondency 
and  weakening  regrets  over  vanished  blessings,  if  men 
were  more  careful  to  take  and  enjoy  thankfully  all  that 
God  gives.  But  many  of  us  have  no  eyes  for  other 
blessings,  because  some  one  blessing  is  withdrawn  or 
denied.  If  we  treasured  all  that  is  given,  we  should 
be  richer  than  most  of  us  are. 

In  ver.  14  the  particle  of  beseeching  is  added  to 
"  before,"  a  singular  form  of  expression  which  seems 
to  imply  desire  that  the  psalmist  may  come  into  the 
temple  with  his  vows.  He  may  have  been  thinking 
of  the  "  sacrificial  meal  in  connection  with  the  peace- 
offerings."  In  any  case,  blessings  received  in  solitude 
should  impel  to  public  gratitude.  God  delivers  His 
suppliants  that  they  may  magnify  Him  before  men. 

The  last  part  (vv.  15-19)  repeats  the  refrain  of  ver.  14, 
but  with  a  different  setting.  Here  the  singer  generalises 
his  own  experience,  and  finds  increase  of  joy  in  the 
thought  of  the  multitude  who  dwell  safe  under  the  same 
protection.  The  more  usual  form  of  expression  for  the 
idea  in  ver.  15  is  "  their  blood  is  precious "  (Psalm 
Ixxii.  14).  The  meaning  is  that  the  death  of  God's  saints 
is  no  trivial  thing  in  God's  eyes,  to  be  lightly  permitted. 
(Compare  the  contrasted  thought,  xliv.  12.)  Then,  on  the 
basis  of  that  general  truth,  is  built  ver.  16,  which  begins 
singularly  with  the  same  beseeching  word  which  has 
already  occurred  in  vv.  4  and  14.  Here  it  is  not  followed 
by  an  expressed  petition,  but  is  a  yearning  of  desire  for 
continued  or  fuller  manifestation  of  God's  favour.  The 
largest  gifts,  most  fully  accepted  and  most  thankfully 
recognised,  still  leave  room  for  longing  which  is  not 
pain,   because  it  is  conscious  of  tender  relations  with 


228  THE  PSALMS 


God  that  guarantee  its  fulfilment.  "  I  am  Thy  servant." 
Therefore  the  longing  which  has  no  words  needs  none. 
"  Thou  hast  loosed  my  bonds."  His  thoughts  go  back 
to  "  the  cords  of  death  "  (ver.  3),  which  had  held  him 
so  tightl}'.  God's  hand  has  slackened  them,  and,  by 
freeing  him  from  that  bondage,  has  bound  him  more 
closely  than  before  to  Himself.  ''  Being  made  free 
from  sin,  ye  became  the  slaves  of  righteousness."  So, 
in  the  full  blessedness  of  received  deliverance,  the 
grateful  heart  offers  itself  to  God,  as  moved  by  His 
mercies  to  become  a  living  sacrifice,  and  calls  on  the 
Name  of  Jehovah,  in  its  hour  of  thankful  surrender,  as 
it  had  called  on  that  Name  in  its  time  of  deep  distress. 
Once  more  the  lonely  suppliant,  who  had  waded  such 
deep  waters  without  companion  but  Jehovah,  seeks  to 
feel  himself  one  of  the  glad  multitude  in  the  courts  of 
the  house  of  Jehovah,  and  to  blend  his  single  voice  in 
the  shout  of  a  nation's  praise.  We  suffer  and  struggle 
for  the  most  part  alone.  Grief  is  a  hermit,  but  Joy  is 
sociable ;  and  thankfulness  desires  listeners  to  its 
praise.  The  perfect  song  is  the  chorus  of  a  great 
"  multitude  which  no  man  can  number." 


PSALM    CXVII. 

1  Praise  Jehovah,  all  nations, 
Laud  Him,  all  peoples. 

2  For  great  is  His  lovingkindness  over  us, 
And  the  troth  of  Jehovah  endures  for  ever. 

Hallelujah. 

THIS  shortest  of  the  psahns  is  not  a  fragment, 
though  some  MSS.  attach  it  to  the  preceding 
and  some  to  the  following  psalm.  It  contains  large 
**  riches  in  a  narrow  room,"  and  its  very  brevity  gives 
force  to  it.  Paul  laid  his  finger  on  its  special  signi- 
ficance, when  he  quoted  it  in  proof  that  God  meant  His 
salvation  to  be  for  the  whole  race.  Jewish  narrowness 
was  an  after-growth  and  a  corruption.  The  historical 
limitations  of  God's  manifestation  to  a  special  nation 
were  means  to  its  universal  diffusion.  The  fire  was 
gathered  in  a  grate,  that  it  might  warm  the  whole  house. 
All  men  have  a  share  in  what  God  does  for  Israel. 
His  grace  was  intended  to  fructify  through  it  to  all. 
The  consciousness  of  being  the  special  recipients  of 
Jehovah's  mercy  was  saved  from  abuse,  by  being  united 
with  the  consciousness  of  being  endowed  with  blessing 
that  they  might  diffuse  blessing. 

Nor  is  the  psalmist's  thought  of  what  Israel's  ex- 
perience proclaimed  concerning  God's  character  less 
noteworthy.  As  often,  lovingkindness  is  united  with 
troth  or  faithfulness  as  twin  stars  which  shine  out  in 

229 


230  THE  PSALMS 


all  God's  dealings  with  His  people.  That  loving- 
kindness  is  "  mighty  over  us " — the  word  used  for 
being  mighty  has  the  sense  of  prevailing^  and  so 
"  where  sin  abounded,  grace  did  much  more  abound." 
The  permanence  of  the  Divine  Lovingkindness  is 
guaranteed  by  God's  Troth,  by  which  the  fulfilment  of 
every  promise  and  the  prolongation  of  every  mercy 
are  sealed  to  men.  These  two  fair  messengers  have 
appeared  in  yet  fairer  form  than  the  psalmist  knew, 
and  the  world  has  to  praise  Jehovah  for  a  world-wide 
gift,  first  bestowed  on  and  rejected  by  a  degenerate 
Israel,  which  thought  that  it  owned  tlie  inheritance,  and 
so  lost  it. 


PSALM    CXVIII. 

1  Give  thanks  to  Jehovah,  for  He  is  good, 
For  His  lovingkindness  endures  for  ever. 

2  O  let  Israel  say, 

That  His  lovingkindness  endures  for  ever. 

3  O  let  the  house  of  Aaron  say, 

That  His  lovingkindness  endures  for  ever. 

4  O  let  those  who  fear  Jah  saj', 

That  His  lovingkindness  endures  for  ever. 

5  Out  of  the  strait  place  1  called  on  Jah, 

Jah  answered  me  [by  bringing  me  out]  into  an  open  place. 

6  Jehovah  is  for  me,  I  will  not  fear, 
What  can  man  do  to  me  ? 

7  Jehovah  is  far  me,  as  my  helper, 
And  I  shall  gaze  on  my  haters. 

8  Better  is  it  to  take  refuge  in  Jehovah 
Than  to  trust  in  man. 

9  Better  is  it  to  take  refuge  in  Jehavah 
Than  to  trust  in  princes. 

10  All  nations  beset  me  round  about ; 

In  the  name  of  Jehovah  will  I  cut  them  down. 

1 1  They  have  beset  me  round  about,  yea,  round  about  beset  me  ; 
In  the  name  of  Jehovah  will  I  cut  them  down. 

12  They  beset  me  round  about  like  bees, 
They  were  extinguished  like  a  thorn  fire; 

In  the  name  of  Jehovah  will  I  cut  them  down. 

13  Thou  didst  thrust  sore  at  me  that  I  migiit  fall, 
But  Jehovah  helped  mc. 

14  Jah  is  my  strength  and  song, 
And  He  is  become  my  salvation. 

231 


THE  PSALMS 


15  The  sound  of  shrill  shouts  of  joy  and  salvation  is  [heard]  in 

the  tents  of  the  righteous; 
The  Hght  hand  of  Jehovah  does  prowess. 

16  The  right  hand  of  Jehovah  is  exalted, 
The  right  hand  of  Jehovah  does  prowess. 

17  I  shall  not  die,  but  live. 

And  1  tell  forth  the  works  of  Jah. 

18  Jah  has  chastened  me  sore. 

But  to  death  He  has  not  given  me  up. 

19  Open  ye  to  me  the  gates  of  righteousness, 
I  will  go  in  by  them,  I  will  thank  Jah. 

20  This  is  the  gate  of  Jehovah  : 
The  righteous  may  go  in  by  it. 

21  I  will  thank  Thee,  for  Thou  hast  answered  me. 
And  art  become  my  salvation. 

22  The  stone  [which]  the  builders  rejected 
Is  become  the  head  [stone]  of  the  corner. 

23  From  Jehovah  did  this  come  to  pass. 
It  is  wonderful  in  our  eyes. 

24  This  is  the  day  [which]  Jehovah  has  made. 
Let  us  leap  for  joy  and  be  glad  in  it. 

25  O,  I  beseech  Thee,  Jehovah,  save,  I  beseech ; 
O,  I  beseech  Thee,  Jehovah,  give  prosperity. 

26  Blessed  be  he  that  comes  in  the  name  of  Jehovah, 
We  bless  you  from  the  house  of  Jehovah. 

27  Jehovah  is  God,  and  He  has  given  us  light; 
Order  the  bough-bearing  procession, — 

To  the  horns  of  the  altar! 

28  My  God  art  Thou,  and  I  will  thank  Thee, 
My  God,  I  will  exalt  Thee. 

29  Give  thanks  to  Jehovah,  for  He  is  good, 
For  His  lovingkindness  endures  for  ever. 

THIS  is  unmistakably  a  psalm  for  use  in  the 
Temple  worship,  and  probably  meant  to  be  sung 
antiphonally,  on  some  day  of  national  rejoicing  (ver.  24). 
A  general  concurrence  of  opinion  points  to  the  period 


cxviii.]  THE  PSALMS  233 

of  the  Restoration  from  Babylon  as  its  date,  as  in  the 
case  of  many  psahns  in  this  Book  V.,  but  different 
events  connected  with  that  restoration  have  been 
selected.  The  psalm  implies  the  completion  of  the 
Temple,  and  therefore  shuts  out  any  point  prior  to 
that.  Delitzsch  fixes  on  the  dedication  of  the  Temple 
as  the  occasion  ;  but  the  view  is  still  more  probable 
which  supposes  that  it  was  sung  on  the  great  celebra- 
tion of  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles,  recorded  in  Neh. 
viii.  14-18.  In  later  times  ver.  25  was  the  festal  cry 
raised  while  the  altar  of  burnt-offering  was  solemnly 
compassed,  once  on  each  of  the  first  six  days  of  the 
Feast  of  Tabernacles,  and  seven  times  on  the  seventh. 
This  seventh  day  was  called  the  "  Great  Hosanna  ;  and 
not  only  the  prayers  at  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles,  but 
even  the  branches  of  osiers  (including  the  myrtles), 
which  are  bound  to  the  palm  branch  (Ltilab),  were 
called  Hosannas "  (Delitzsch).  The  allusions  in  the 
psalm  fit  the  circumstances  of  the  time  in  question. 
Stier,  Perowne,  and  Baethgen  concur  in  preferring  this 
date :  the  last-named  critic,  who  is  very  slow  to 
recognise  indications  of  specific  dates,  speaks  with 
unwonted  decisiveness,  when  he  writes,  "  I  believe 
that  I  can  say  with  certainty.  Psalm  cxviii.  was  sung 
for  the  first  time  at  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles  in  the 
year  444  b.c."  Cheyne  follows  his  usual  guides  in 
pointing  to  the  purification  and  reconstruction  of  the 
Temple  by  Judas  Maccabaeus  as  "  fully  adequate  to 
explain  alike  the  tone  and  the  expressions."  He  is 
"  the  terrible  hero,"  to  whose  character  the  refrain, 
"  In  the  name  of  Jehovah  I  will  cut  them  down," 
corresponds.  But  the  allusions  in  the  psalm  are  quite 
as  appropriate  to  any  other  times  of  national  jubilation 
and  yet  of  danger,  such  as  that  of  the  Restoration,  and 


234  THE  PSALMS 


Judas  the  Maccabee  had  no  monopoly  of  the  warrior 
trust  which  flames  in  that  refrain. 

Apparently  the  psalm  falls  into  two  halves,  of  which 
the  former  (vv.  1-16)  seems  to  have  been  sung  as  a 
processional  hymn  while  approaching  the  sanctuary, 
and  the  latt  r  (vv.  17-29),  partly  at  the  Temple  gates, 
partly  b}'  a  chorus  of  priests  within,  and  partly  by  the 
procession  when  it  had  entered.  Every  reader  recog- 
nises traces  of  antiphonal  singing ;  but  it  is  difficult  to 
separate  the  parts  with  certainty.  A  clue  may  possibly 
be  found  by  noting  that  verses  marked  by  the  occur- 
rence of  "  I,"  "  me,"  and  "  my  "  are  mingled  with  others 
more  impersonal.  The  personified  nation  is  clearly 
the  speaker  of  the  former  class  of  verses,  which  tells  a 
connected  story  of  distress,  deliverance,  and  grateful 
triumph;  while  the  other  less  personal  verses  generalise 
the  experience  of  the  first  speaker,  and  sustain  substan- 
tially the  part  of  the  chorus  in  a  Greek  play.  In  the 
first  part  of  the  psalm  we  may  suppose  that  a  part  of  the 
procession  sang  the  one  and  another  portion  the  other 
series  ;  while  in  the  second  part  (vv.  1 7-29)  the  more 
personal  verses  were  sung  by  the  whole  cortege  arrived 
at  the  Temple,  and  the  more  generalised  other  part  was 
taken  by  a  chorus  of  priests  or  Levites  within  the 
sanctuary.  This  distribution  of  verses  is  occasionally 
uncertain,  but  on  the  whole  is  clear,  and  aids  the 
understanding  of  the  psalm. 

First  rings  out  from  the  full  choir  the  summons  to 
praise,  which  peculiarly  belonged  to  the  period  of  the 
Restoration  (Ezra  iii.  ii  ;  Psalms  cvi.  i,  cvii.  i).  As 
in  Psalm  cxv.,  three  classes  arc  called  on  :  the  whole 
house  of  Israel,  the  priests,  and  "those  who  fear 
Jehovah  " — i.e.,  aliens  who  have  taken  refuge  beneath 
the  wings  of  Israel's  God.     The  threefold  designation 


cxviii.]  THE  PSALMS  235 

expresses  the  thrill  of  joy  in  the  recovery  of  national 
life ;  the  high  estimate  of  the  priesthood  as  the  only 
remaining  God-appointed  order,  now  that  the  monarchy 
was  swept  away  ;  and  the  growing  desire  to  draw  the 
nations  into  the  community  of  God's  people. 

Then,  with  ver.  5,  the  single  voice  begins.  His 
experience,  now  to  be  told,  is  the  reason  for  the  praise 
called  for  in  the  previous  verses.  It  is  the  familiar 
sequence  reiterated  in  many  a  psalm  and  many  a  life, — 
distress,  or  "a  strait  place"  (Fsalm  cxvi.  3),  a  cry  to 
Jehovah,  His  answer  by  enlargement,  and  a  consequent 
triumphant  confidence,  which  has  warrant  in  the  past 
for  believing  that  no  hand  can  hurt  him  whom  Jehovah's 
hand  helps.  Many  a  man  passes  through  the  psalmist's 
experience  without  thereby  achieving  the  psalmist's 
settled  faith  and  power  to  despise  threatening  calamities. 
We  fail  both  in  recounting  clearly  to  ourselves  our 
deliverances  and  in  drawing  assurance  from  them  for 
the  future.  Ver.  5  Z»  is  a  pregnant  construction.  He 
"answered  me  in  [or,  into]  an  open  place" — i.c.y  by 
bringing  me  into  it.  The  contrast  of  a  narrow  gorge 
and  a  wide  plain  picturesquely  expresses  past  restraints 
and  present  freedom  of  movement.  Ver.  6  is  taken 
from  Psalm  Ivi.  9,  1 1  ;  and  ver.  7  is  influenced  by  Psalm 
liv.  4,  and  reproduces  the  peculiar  expression  occurring 
there,  "  Jehovah  is  among  my  helpers," — on  which 
compare  remarks  on  that  passage. 

Vv.  8,  9,  are  impersonal,  and  generalise  the  experi- 
ence of  the  preceding  verses.  They  ring  out  loud, 
like  a  trumpet,  and  are  the  more  intense  for  reiteration. 
Israel  was  but  a  feeble  handful.  Its  very  existence 
seemed  to  depend  on  the  caprice  of  the  protecting 
kings  who  had  permitted  its  return.  It  had  had  bitter 
experience  of  the  unreliableness  of  a  monarch's  whim 


236  THE  PSALMS 


Now,  with  superb  reliance,  which  was  felt  by  the 
psalmist  to  be  the  true  lesson  of  the  immediate  past, 
it  peals  out  its  choral  confidence  in  Jehovah  with  a 
"  heroism  of  faith  which  ma}^  well  put  us  to  the 
blush."  These  verses  surpass  the  preceding  in  that 
they  avow  that  faith  in  Jehovah  makes  men  independent 
of  human  helpers,  while  the  former  verses  declared 
that  it  makes  superior  to  mortal  foes.  Fear  of  and 
confidence  in  man  are  both  removed  b}'  trust  in  God. 
But  it  is  perhaps  harder  to  be  weaned  from  the 
confidence  than  to  rise  above  the  fear. 

The  individual  experience  is  resumed  in  vv.  10-14. 
The  energetic  reduplications  strengthen  the  impression 
of  multiplied  attacks,  corresponding  with  the  facts  of 
the  Restoration  period.  The  same  impression  is  ac- 
centuated by  the  use  in  ver.  1 1  «  of  two  forms  of  the 
same  verb,  and  in  ver.  12  a  by  the  metaphor  of  a  swarm 
of  angry  bees  (Deut.  i.  44).  Numerous,  venomous, 
swift,  and  hard  to  strike  at  as  the  enemies  were,  buzzing 
and  stinging  around,  they  were  but  insects  after  all, 
and  a  strong  hand  could  crush  them.  The  psalmist 
does  not  merely  look  to  God  to  interpose  for  him,  as 
in  vv.  6,  7,  but  expects  that  God  will  give  him  power 
to  conquer  by  the  use  of  his  own  strengthened  arm. 
We  are  not  only  objects  of  Divine  protection,  but 
organs  of  Divine  power.  Trusting  in  the  revealed 
character  of  Jehovah,  we  shall  find  conquering  energy 
flowing  into  us  from  Him,  and  the  most  fierce  assaults 
-will  die  out  as  quickly  as  a  fire  of  dry  thorn  twigs, 
which  .sinks  into  ashes  the  sooner  the  more  it  crackles 
and  blazes.  Then  the  psalmist  individualises  the 
multitude  of  foes,  just  as  the  collective  Israel  is 
individualised,  and  brings  assailants  and  assailed  down 
to   two  antagonists,  engaged    in   desperate  duel.     But 


cxviii.]  THE  PSALMS  237 

a  third  Person  intervenes.  "Jehovah  helped  me" 
(ver.  13)  ;  as  in  old  legends,  the  gods  on  their  immortal 
steeds  charged  at  the  head  of  the  hosts  of  their 
worshippers.  Thus  delivered,  the  singer  breaks  into 
the  ancient  strain,  which  had  gone  up  on  the  shores 
of  the  sullen  sea  that  rolled  over  Pharaoh's  army,  and 
is  still  true  after  centuries  have  intervened  :  "  Jah  is 
my  strength  and  song,  and  He  is  become  my  salvation." 
Miriam  sang  it,  the  restored  exiles  sang  it,  tried  and 
trustful  men  in  every  age  have  sung  and  will  sing  it, 
till  there  are  no  more  foes  ;  and  then,  by  the  shores  of 
the  sea  of  glass  mingled  with  fire,  the  calm  victors 
will  lift  again  the  undying  "  song  of  Moses  and  of 
the  Lamb." 

Vv.  15,  16,  are  probably  best  taken  as  sung  by  the 
chorus,  generalising  and  giving  voice  to  the  emotions 
excited  by  the  preceding  verses.  The  same  reiteration 
which  characterised  vv.  8,  9,  reappears  here.  Two 
broad  truths  are  built  on  the  individual  voice's  auto- 
biography :  namely,  that  trust  in  Jehovah  and  consequent 
conformity  to  His  law  arc  never  in  vain,  but  always 
issue  in  joy ;  and  that  God's  power,  when  put  forth, 
always  conquers.  "  The  tents  of  the  righteous  "  may 
possibly  allude  to  the  "  tabernacles  "  constructed  for 
the  feast,  at  which  the  song  was  probably  sung. 

Vv.  17-19  belong  to  the  individual  voice.  The 
procession  has  reached  the  Temple.  Deeper  thoughts 
than  before  now  mark  the  retrospect  of  past  trial  and 
deliverance.  Both  are  recognised  to  be  from  Jehovah. 
It  is  He  who  has  corrected,  severely  indeed,  but  still 
"  in  measure,  not  to  bring  to  nothing,  but  to  make 
capable  and  recipient  of  fuller  life."  The  enemy  thrust 
sore,  with  intent  to  make  Israel  fall ;  but  God's  strokes 
are  meant  to  make  us  stand  the  firmer.      It  is  beautiful 


238  THE  PSALMS 


that  all  thought  of  human  foes  has  faded  away,  and 
God  only  is  seen  in  all  the  sorrow.  But  His  chastise- 
ment has  wider  purposes  than  individual  blessedness. 
It  is  intended  to  make  its  objects  the  heralds  of  His 
name  to  the  world.  Israel  is  beginning  to  lay  to  heart 
more  earnestly  its  world-wide  vocation  to  "  tell  forth 
the  works  of  Jehovah."  The  imperative  obligation  of 
all  who  have  received  delivering  help  from  Him  is  to 
become  missionaries  of  His  name.  The  reed  is  cut 
and  pared  thin  and  bored  with  hot  irons,  and  the  very 
pith  of  it  extracted,  that  it  may  be  fit  to  be  put  to 
the  owner's  lips,  and  give  out  music  from  his  breath. 
Thus  conscious  of  its  vocation  and  eager  to  render  its 
due  of  sacrifice  and  praise,  Israel  asks  that  "  the  gates 
of  righteousness  "  may  be  opened  for  the  entrance  of 
the  long  procession.  The  Temple  doors  are  so  called, 
because  Righteousness  is  the  condition  of  entrance 
(Isa.  xxvi.  2  :  compare  Psalm  xxiv.). 

Ver.  20  may  belong  to  the  individual  voice,  but  is 
perhaps  better  taken  as  the  answer  from  within  the 
Temple,  of  the  priests  or  Levites  who  guarded  the 
closed  doors,  and  who  now  proclaim  what  must  be 
the  character  of  those  who  would  tread  the  sacred 
courts.  The  gate  (not  as  in  ver.  19,  gates)  belongs 
to  Jehovah,  and  therefore  access  by  it  is  permitted  to 
none  but  the  righteous.  That  is  an  everlasting  truth. 
It  is  possible  to  translate,  "  This  is  the  gate  to  Jehovah  " 
— i.e.,  by  which  one  comes  to  His  presence ;  and  that 
rendering  would  bring  out  still  more  emphatically  the 
necessity  of  the  condition  laid  down  :  *'  Without  holi- 
ness no  man  shall  see  the  Lord." 

The  condition  is  supposed  to  be  met ;  for  in  ver.  21 
the  individual  voice  again  breaks  into  thanksgiving, 
for  being  allowed  once  more  to  stand  in  the  house  of 


THE  PSALMS  239 


Jehovah.  "  Thou  hast  answered  me "  :  the  psalmist 
had  already  sung  that  Jah  had  answered  him  (ver.  5). 
"  And  art  become  my  salvation  "  :  he  had  already  hailed 
Jehovah  as  having  become  such  (ver.  14).  God's  deliver- 
ance is  not  complete  till  full  communion  with  Him  is 
enjoyed.  Dwelling  in  His  house  is  the  crown  of  all 
His  blessings.  We  are  set  free  from  enemies,  from 
sins  and  fears  and  struggles,  that  we  may  abide  for 
ever  with  Him,  and  only  then  do  we  realise  the  full 
sweetness  of  His  redeeming  hand,  when  we  stand  in 
His  presence  and  commune  evermore  with  Him. 

Vv.  22,  23,  24,  probably  belong  to  the  priestly  chorus. 
They  set  forth  the  great  truth  made  manifest  by 
restored  Israel's  presence  in  the  rebuilt  Temple.  The 
metaphor  is  suggested  by  the  incidents  connected  with 
the  rebuilding.  The  "stone"  is  obviously  Israel, 
weak,  contemptible,  but  now  once  more  laid  as  the  very 
foundation  stone  of  God's  house  in  the  world.  The 
broad  truth  taught  by  its  history  is  that  God  lays  as 
the  basis  of  His  building — i.e.,  uses  for  the  execution 
of  His  purposes — that  which  the  wisdom  of  man 
despises  and  tosses  aside.  There  had  been  abundant 
faint-heartcdness  among  even  the  restored  exiles.  The 
nations  around  had  scoffed  at  these  "  feeble  Jews,"  and 
the  scoffs  had  not  been  without  echoes  in  Israel  itself 
Chiefly,  the  men  of  position  and  influence,  who  ought 
to  have  strengthened  drooping  courage,  had  been  in- 
fected with  the  tendency  to  rate  low  the  nation's  power, 
and  to  think  that  their  enterprise  was  destined  to 
disaster.  But  now  the  Temple  is  built,  and  the 
worshippers  stand  in  it.  What  does  that  teach  but 
that  all  has  been  God's  doing  ?  So  wonderful  is  it,  so 
far  beyond  expectation,  that  the  very  objects  of  such 
marvellous  intervention  are  amazed  to  find  themselves 


240  THE  PSALMS 


where  they  stand.  So  rooted  is  our  tendency  to  un- 
belief that,  when  God  does  what  He  has  sworn  to 
do,  we  are  apt  to  be  astonished  with  a  wonder  which 
reveals  the  greatness  of  our  past  incredulity.  No  man 
who  trusts  God  ought  to  be  surprised  at  God's  answers 
to  trust. 

The  general  truth  contained  here  is  that  of  Paul's 
great  saying,  "  God  hath  chosen  the  weak  things  of 
the  world  that  He  might  put  to  shame  the  things  that 
are  strong."  It  is  the  constant  law,  not  because  God 
chooses  unfit  instruments,  but  because  the  world's 
estimates  of  fitness  are  false,  and  the  qualities  which  it 
admires  are  irrelevant  with  regard  to  His  designs,  while 
the  requisite  qualities  are  of  another  sort  altogether. 
Therefore,  it  is  a  law  which  finds  its  highest  exemplifica- 
tion in  the  foundation  for  God's  true  temple,  other 
than  which  can  no  man  lay.  "Israel  is  not  only  a 
figure  of  Christ — there  is  an  organic  unity  between 
Him  and  them.  Whatever,  therefore,  is  true  of  Israel 
in  a  lower  sense  is  true  in  its  highest  sense  of  Christ. 
If  Israel  is  the  rejected  stone  made  the  head  of  the 
corner,  this  is  far  truer  of  Him  who  was  indeed  rejected 
of  men,  but  chosen  of  God  and  precious,  the  corner 
stone  of  the  one  great  living  temple  of  the  redeemed  " 
(Perowne). 

Ver.  24  is  best  regarded  as  the  continuation  of  the 
choral  praise  in  w.  22,  23.  **  The  day  "  is  that  of  the 
festival  now  in  process,  the  joyful  culmination  of  God's 
manifold  deliverances.  It  is  a  day  in  which  joy  is 
duty,  and  no  heart  has  a  right  to  be  too  heavy  to  leap 
for  gladness.  Private  sorrows  enough  many  of  the 
jubilant  worshippers  no  doubt  had,  but  the  sight  of 
the  Stone  laid  as  the  head  of  the  corner  should  bring 
Joy    even    to    such.     If  sadness    was    ingratitude    and 


cxviii.]  THE  PSALMS  241 

almost  treason  then,  what  sorrow  should  now  be  so 
dense  that  it  cannot  be  pierced  by  the  Light  which 
lighteth  every  man  ?  The  joy  of  the  Lord  should  float, 
like  oil  on  stormy  waves,  above  our  troublous  sorrows, 
and  smooth  their  tossing. 

Again  the  single  voice  rises,  but  not  now  in  thanks- 
giving, as  might  have  been  expected,  but  in  plaintive 
tones  of  earnest  imploring  (vcr.  25).  Standing  in  the 
sanctuary,  Israel  is  conscious  of  its  perils,  its  need, 
its  weakness,  and  so  with  pathetic  reiteration  of  the 
particle  of  entreaty,  which  occurs  twice  in  each  clause 
of  the  verse,  cries  for  continued  deliverance  from  con- 
tinuing evils,  and  for  prosperity  in  the  course  opening 
before  it.  The  "  day  "  in  which  unmingled  gladness 
inspires  our  songs  has  not  yet  dawned,  fair  as  are  the 
many  days  which  Jehovah  has  made.  In  the  earthly 
house  of  the  Lord  thanksgiving  must  ever  pass  into 
petition.  An  unending  day  comes,  when  there  will 
be  nothing  to  dread,  and  no  need  for  the  sadder  notes 
occasioned  by  felt  weakness  and  feared  foes. 

Vv.  26,  27,  come  from  the  chorus  of  priests,  who 
welcome  the  entering  procession,  and  solemnly  pro- 
nounce on  them  the  benediction  of  Jehovah.  They 
answer,  in  His  name,  the  prayer  of  ver.  25,  and  bless 
the  single  leader  of  the  procession  and  the  multitudes 
following.  The  use  of  ver.  26  a  and  of  the  "  Hosanna" 
(an  attempted  ti'ansliteration  of  the  Hebrew  "  Save  I 
beseech")  from  ver.  25  at  Christ's  entrance  into  Jerusalem 
probably  shows  that  the  psalm  was  regarded  as 
Messianic.  It  is  so,  in  virtue  of  the  relation  already 
referred  to  between  Israel  and  Christ.  He  "cometh 
in  the  name  of  Jehovah "  in  a  deeper  sense  than  did 
Israel,  the  servant  of  the  Lord. 

Ver.  27  rt  recalls  the  priestly  benediction  (Numb.  vi. 

VOL.    III.  16 


242  THE  PSALMS 


25),  and  thankfully  recognises  its  ample  fulfilment  in 
Israel's  history,  and  especially  in  the  dawning  of  new 
prosperity  now.  Ver.  27  b,  c,  is  difficult.  Obviously  it 
should  be  a  summons  to  worship,  as  thanksgiving  for 
the  benefits  acknowledged  in  a.  But  what  is  the  act 
of  worship  intended  is  hard  to  say.  The  rendering 
"  Bind  the  sacrifice  with  cords,  even  unto  the  horns 
of  the  altar,"  has  against  it  the  usual  meaning  of  the 
word  rendered  sacrifice,  which  is  rzXhex  festival,  and  the 
fact  that  the  last  words  of  the  verse  cannot  possibly 
be  translated  "  to  the  horns,"  etc.,  but  must  mean  "  as 
far  as  "  or  "  even  up  to  the  horns,"  etc.  There  must 
therefore  be  a  good  deal  supplied  in  the  sentence ;  and 
commentators  differ  as  to  how  to  fill  the  gap.  Delitzsch 
supposes  that  "  the  number  of  the  sacrificial  animals 
is  to  be  so  great  that  the  whole  space  of  the  courts  of 
the  priests  becomes  full  of  them,  and  the  binding  of 
them  has  therefore  to  take  place  even  up  to  the  horns 
of  the  altar."  Perowne  takes  the  expres.sion  to  be  a 
pregnant  one  for  "  till  [the  victim]  is  sacrificed  and  its 
blood  sprinkled  on  the  horns  of  the  altar."  So  Hupfeld, 
following  Chaldee  and  some  Jewish  interpreters. 
Others  regard  the  supposed  ellipsis  as  too  great  to  be 
natural,  and  take  an  entirely  different  view.  The  word 
rendered  sacrifice  in  the  former  explanation  is  taken  to 
mean  ziprocession  round  the  altar,  which  is  etymologically 
justifiable,  and  is  supported  by  the  known  custom  of 
making  such  a  circuit  during  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles. 
For  ''  cords  "  this  explanation  would  read  branches  or 
boughs,  which  is  also  warranted.  But  what  does 
"  binding  a  procession  with  boughs  "  mean  ?  Various 
answers  are  given.  Cheyne  supposes  that  the  branches 
borne  in  the  hands  of  the  members  of  the  procession 
were  in  some  unknown  way  used  to  bind  or  link  them 


THE  PSALMS  243 


together  before  they  left  the  Temple.  Baethgen  takes 
"  with  boughs  "  as  =  "  bearing  boughs,"  with  which  he 
supposes  that  the  bearers  touched  the  altar  horns,  fur 
the  purpose  of  transferring  to  themselves  the  holiness 
concentrated  there.  Either  explanation  has  difficulties, 
— the  former  in  requiring  an  unusual  sense  for  the 
word  rendered  sacrifice]  the  latter  in  finding  a  suitable 
meaning  for  that  translated  bind.  In  either  c  is  but 
loosely  connected  with  b,  and  is  best  understood  as 
an  exclamation.  The  verb  rendered  bind  is  used  in 
I  Kings  XX.  14,  2  Chron.  xiii.  3,  in  a  sense  which  fits 
well  with  "  procession  "  here — i.e.,  that  of  marshalling 
an  army  for  battle.  If  this  meaning  is  adopted,  b  will 
be  the  summons  to  order  the  bough-bearing  procession, 
and  c  a  call  to  march  onwards,  so  as  to  encircle  the 
altar.  This  meaning  of  the  obscure  verse  may  be 
provisionally  accepted,  while  owning  that  our  ignorance 
of  the  ceremonial  referred  to  prevents  complete  under- 
standing of  the  words. 

Once  more  Miriam's  song  supplies  ancient  language 
of  praise  for  recent  mercies,  and  the  personified  Israel 
compasses  the  altar  with  thanksgiving  (ver.  28).  Then 
the  whole  multitude,  both  of  those  who  had  come  up 
to  the  Temple  and  of  those  who  had  welcomed  them 
there,  join  in  the  chorus  of  praise  with  which  the  psalm 
begins  and  ends,  and  which  was  so  often  pealed  forth 
in  those  days  of  early  joy  for  the  new  manifestations 
of  that  Lovingkindness  which  endures  through  all 
days,  both  those  of  past  evil  and  those  of  future  hoped- 
for  good. 


PSALM    CXIX. 

IT  is  lost  labour  to  seek  for  close  continuity  or 
progress  in  this  psalm.  One  thought  pervades  it — 
the  surpassing  excellence  of  the  Law  ;  and  the  beauty 
and  power  of  the  psalm  lie  in  the  unwearied  reiteration 
of  that  single  idea.  There  is  music  in  its  monotony, 
which  is  subtilely  varied.  Its  verses  are  like  the  ripples 
on  a  sunny  sea,  alike  and  impressive  in  their  continual 
march,  and  yet  each  catching  the  light  with  a  difference, 
and  breaking  on  the  shore  in  a  tone  of  its  own.  A 
few  elements  are  combined  into  these  hundred  and 
seventy-six  gnomic  sentences.  One  or  other  of  the  usual 
synonyms  for  the  Law — viz.,  word,  saying,  statutes, 
commandments,  testimonies,  judgments — occurs  in 
every  verse,  except  vv.  122  and  132.  The  prayers 
"  Teach  me,  revive  me,  preserve  me — according  to  Thy 
word,"  and  the  vows  **  I  will  keep,  observe,  meditate  on, 
delight  in — Thy  law,"  are  frequently  repeated.  There 
are  but  few  pieces  in  the  psalmist's  kaleidoscope,  but 
they  fall  into  many  shapes  of  beauty  ;  and  though  all 
his  sentences  are  moulded  after  the  same  general  plan, 
the  variety  within  such  narrow  limits  is  equally  a 
witness  of  poetic  power  which  turns  the  fetters  of  the 
acrostic  structure  into  helps,  and  of  devout  heartfelt 
love  for  the  Law  of  Jehovah. 

The  psalm  is  probably  of  late  date ;  but  its  allusions 
244 


cxix.]  THE  PSALMS  245 

to  the  singer's  circumstances,  whether  they  are  taken 
as  autobiographical  or  as  having  reference  to  the  nation, 
are  too  vague  to  be  used  as  chies  to  the  period  of  its 
composition.  An  early  poet  is  not  likely  to  have 
adopted  such  an  elaborate  acrostic  plan,  and  the  praises 
of  the  Law  naturally  suggest  a  time  when  it  was  familiar 
in  an  approximately  complete  form.  It  may  be  that 
the  rulers  referred  to  in  vv.  23,  46,  were  foreigners, 
but  the  expression  is  too  general  to  draw  a  conclusion 
from.  It  may  be  that  the  double-minded  (vcr.  113), 
who  err  from  God's  statutes  (ver.  1 1 8),  and  forsake 
His  law  (ver.  53),  are  Israelites  who  have  yielded  to  the 
temptations  to  apostatise,  which  came  with  the  early 
Greek  period,  to  which  Baethgen,  Cheyne,  and  others 
would  assign  the  psalm.  But  these  expressions,  too, 
are  of  so  general  a  nature  that  they  do  not  give  clear 
testimony  of  date. 

1  Blessed  the  perfect  in  [their]  way, 
Who  walit  in  the  law  of  Jehovah  ! 

2  Blessed  they  who  keep  His  testimonies, 
That  seek  Him  with  the  whole  heart, 

3  [Who]  also  have  done  no  iniquity, 
[But]  have  walked  in  His  ways  ! 

4  Thou  hast  commanded  Thy  precepts, 
That  we  should  observe  them  diligently. 

5  O  that  my  ways  were  established 
To  observe  Thy  statutes! 

6  Then  shall  I  not  be  ashamed, 

When  I  give  heed  to  all  Thy  commandments. 

7  I  will  thank  Thee  with  uprightness  of  heart, 
When  I  learn  Thy  righteous  judgments. 

8  Thy  statutes  will  I  observe ; 
Forsake  me  not  utterly. 

The  first  three  verses  are  closely  connected.     They 
set  forth  in  general  terms  the  elements  of  the  blessed- 


246  THE  PSALMS 


ness  of  the  doers  of  the  Law.  To  walk  in  it — i.e.,  to 
order  the  active  life  in  conformity  with  its  requirements 
— ensures  perfectness.  To  keep  God's  testimonies  is  at 
once  the  consequence  and  the  proof  of  seeking  Him 
with  whole-hearted  devotion  and  determination.  To 
walk  in  His  ways  is  the  preservative  from  evil-doing. 
And  such  men  cannot  but  be  blessed  with  a  deep 
sacred  blessedness,  which  puts  to  shame  course  and 
turbulent  delights,  and  feeds  its  pure  fires  from  God 
Himself.  Whether  these  verses  are  taken  as  exclama- 
tion or  declaration,  they  lead  up  naturally  to  ver.  4, 
which  reverently  gazes  upon  the  loving  act  of  God  in 
the  revelation  of  His  will  in  the  Law,  and  bethinks 
itself  of  the  obligations  bound  on  us  by  that  act.  It 
is  of  God's  mercy  that  He  has  commanded,  and  His 
words  are  meant  to  sway  our  wills,  since  He  has 
broken  the  awful  silence,  not  merely  to  instruct  us,  but 
to  command  ;  and  nothing  short  of  practical  obedience 
will  discharge  our  duties  to  His  revelation.  So  the 
psalmist  betakes  himself  to  prayer,  that  he  may  be 
helped  to  realise  the  purpose  of  God  in  giving  the  Law. 
His  contemplation  of  the  blessedness  of  obedience  and 
of  the  Divine  act  of  declaring  His  will  moves  him 
to  longing,  and  his  consciousness  of  weakness  and 
wavering  makes  the  longing  into  prayer  that  his  waver- 
ing may  be  consolidated  into  fixity  of  purpose  and 
continuity  of  obedience.  When  a  man's  ways  are 
established  to  observe,  they  will  be  established  by 
observing,  God's  statutes.  For  nothing  can  put  to  the 
blush  one  whose  eye  is  directed  to  these. 

"Whatever  record  leap  to  light, 
He  never  shall  be  shamed." 

Nor  will   he  chei-ish  hopes  tliat   fail,  nor  desires  that 


cxix.]  THE  PSALMS  247 

when  accomplished,  are  bitter  of  taste.  To  give  heed 
to  the  commandments  is  the  condition  of  learning  them 
and  recognising  how  righteous  they  are ;  and  such 
learning  makes  the  learner's  heart  righteous  like  them, 
and  causes  it  to  run  over  in  thankfulness  for  the  boon 
of  knowledge  of  God's  will.  By  all  these  thoughts  the 
psalmist  is  brought  to  his  fixed  resolve  in  ver.  8,  to  do 
what  God  meant  him  to  do  when  He  gave  the  Law ; 
and  what  the  singer  had  just  longed  that  he  might  be 
able  to  do — namely,  to  observe  the  statutes.  But  in 
his  resolve  he  remembers  his  weakness,  and  therefore 
he  glides  into  prayer  for  that  Presence  without  which 
resolves  are  transient  and  abortive. 

§3 
9  Wherewith  shall  a  young  man  cleanse  his  patli  ? 
By  taking  heed,  according  to  Thy  word. 

10  With  my  whole  heart  have  I  sought  Thee, 
Let  me  not  wander  from  Thy  commandments. 

1 1  In  my  heart  have  I  hid  Thy  saying, 
That  I  may  not  sin  against  Thee. 

12  Blessed  art  Thou,  Jehovah, 
Teach  me  Thy  statutes. 

13  With  my  lips  have  I  rehearsed 
All  the  judgments  of  Thy  mouth. 

14  In  the  way  of  Thy  testimonies  have  I  rejoiced. 
As  over  all  [kinds  of]  wealth. 

15  In  '\'\\y  precepts  will  I  meditate, 

And  will  have  respect  to  all  Thy  paths. 

16  In  Thy  statutes  will  I  delight  myself, 
I  will  not  forget  Thy  word. 

The  inference  drawn  from  ver.  9,  that  the  psalmist 
was  a  young  man,  is  precarious.  The  language  would 
be  quite  as  appropriate  to  an  aged  teacher  desirous  of 
guiding  impetuous  youth  to  sober  self-control.  While 
some  verses  favour  the  hypothesis  of  the  author's  youth 
(ver.  141,  and  perhaps  vv.  99,  lOo),  the  tone  of  the  whole, 


248  THE  PSALMS 


its  rich  experience  and  comprehensive  grasp  of  the 
manifold  relations  of  the  Law  to  life,  imply  maturity  of 
years  and  length  of  meditation.  The  psalm  is  the  ripe 
fruit  of  a  life  which  is  surely  past  its  spring.  But  it  is  ex- 
tremely questionable  whether  these  apparently  personal 
traits  are  really  so.  Much  rather  is  the  poet  "  thinking 
...  of  the  individuals  of  different  ages  and  spiritual 
attainments  who  may  use  his  works  "  (Cheyne,  in  loc). 

The  word  rendered  "  By  taking  heed "  has  already 
occurred  in  vv.  4,  5  (**  observe  ").  The  careful  study 
of  the  Word  must  be  accompanied  with  as  careful  study 
of  self.  The  object  observed  there  was  the  Law  ;  here, 
it  is  the  man  himself  Study  God's  law,  says  the 
psalmist,  and  study  Thyself  in  its  light ;  so  shall  youthful 
impulses  be  bridled,  and  the  life's  path  be  kept  pure. 
That  does  not  sound  so  like  a  young  man's  thought 
as  an  old  man's  maxim,  in  which  are  crystallised  many 
experiences. 

The  rest  of  the  section  intermingles  petitions,  pro- 
fessions, and  vows,  and  is  purely  personal.  The  psalmist 
claims  that  he  is  one  of  those  whom  he  has  pronounced 
blessed,  inasmuch  as  he  has  "  sought "  God  with  his 
"whole  heart."  Such  longing  is  no  mere  idle  aspira- 
tion, but  must  be  manifested  in  obedience,  as  ver.  2 
has  declared.  If  a  man  longs  for  God,  he  will  best 
find  Him  by  doing  His  will.  But  no  heart-desire  is 
so  rooted  as  to  guarantee  that  it  shall  not  die,  nor  is 
past  obedience  a  certain  pledge  of  a  like  future.  Where- 
fore the  psalmist  prays,  not  in  reliance  on  his  past,  but 
in  dread  that  he  may  falsify  it,  "  Let  me  not  wander." 
He  had  not  only  sought  God  in  his  heart,  but  had 
there  hid  God's  law,  as  its  best  treasure,  and  as  an 
inward  power  controlling  and  stimulating.  Evil  cannot 
flow  from  a  heart  in  which  God's  law  is  lodged.     That 


cxix.]  THE  PSALMS  249 

is  the  tree  which  sweetens  the  waters  of  the  fountain. 
But  the  cry  "  Teach  me  Thy  statutes "  would  be  but 
faltering,  if  the  singer  could  not  rise  above  himself, 
and  take  heart  by  gazing  upon  God,  whose  own  great 
character  is  the  guarantee  that  He  will  not  leave  a 
seeking  soul  in  ignorance. 

Professions  and  vows  now  take  the  place  of  petitions. 
"  From  the  abundance  of  the  heart  the  mouth  speaketh," 
and  the  word  hid  in  it  will  certainly  not  be  concealed. 
It  is  buried  deep,  that  it  may  grow  high.  It  is  hidden, 
that  it  may  come  abroad.  Therefore  ver.  13  tells  of  bold 
utterance,  which  is  as  incumbent  on  men  as  obedient 
deeds. 

A  sane  estimate  of  earthly  good  will  put  it  decisively 
below  the  knowledge  of  God  and  of  His  will.  Lives 
which  despise  what  the  world  calls  riches,  because 
they  are  smitten  with  the  desire  of  any  sort  of  wisdom, 
are  ever  nobler  than  those  which  keep  the  low  levels. 
And  highest  of  all  is  the  life  which  gives  effect  to  its 
conviction  that  man's  true  treasure  is  to  know  God's 
mind  and  will.  To  rejoice  in  His  testimonies  is  to 
have  wealth  that  cannot  be  lost  and  pleasures  that 
cannot  wither.  That  glad  estimate  will  surely  lead  to 
happy  meditation  on  them,  by  which  their  worth  shall 
be  disclosed  and  their  sweep  made  plain.  The  miser 
loves  to  tell  his  gold ;  the  saint,  to  ponder  his  wealth 
in  God.  The  same  double  direction  of  the  mind,  already 
noted,  reappears  in  ver.  15,  where  quiet  meditation 
on  God's  statutes  is  associated  with  attention  to  the 
ways  which  are  called  His,  as  being  pointed  out  by, 
and  pleasing  to,  Him,  but  are  ours,  as  being  walked 
in  by  us.  Inward  delight  in,  and  practical  remembrance 
of,  the  Law  are  vowed  in  ver.  16,  which  covers  the 
whole  field  of  contemplative  and  active  life. 


250  THE  PSALMS 


§3 

17  Deal  bountifully  with  Thj'  sen-ant,  that  I  may  live, 
So  will  I  observe  Thy  word. 

18  Open  my  eyes,  that  I  may  behold 
Wonders  out  of  Thy  law. 

19  A  stranger  am  I  on  the  earth. 

Hide  not  from  me  Thy  commandments. 

20  Crushed  is  my  soul  with  longing 
Towards  Thy  judgments  at  all  times. 

21  Thou  hast  rebuked  the  proud  [so  that  they  are]  cursed, 
Those  who  wander  from  Thy  commandments.  ' 

22  Remove  from  me  reproach  and  shame. 
For  Thy  testimonies  do  I  keep. 

23  Princes  also  sit  and  speak  with  one  another  against  me, 
Thy  servant  meditates  on  Thy  statutes. 

24  Also  Thy  testimonies  are  my  delight. 
The  men  of  my  counsel. 

In  ver.  17  the  psalmist  desires  continued  life,  mainly 
because  it  affords  the  opportunity  of  continued  obedi- 
ence. He  will  "observe  Thy  word,"  not  only  in  token 
of  gratitude,  but  because  to  him  life  is  precious  chiefly 
because  in  its  activities  he  can  serve  God.  Such  a 
reason  for  wishing  to  live  may  easily  change  to  a 
willingness  to  die,  as  it  did  with  Paul,  who  had  learned 
that  a  better  obedience  was  possible  when  he  had 
passed  through  the  dark  gates,  and  therefore  could 
say,  "To  die  is  gain."  Vv.  18,  19,  are  connected,  in 
so  far  as  the  former  desires  subjective  illumination  and 
the  latter  objective  revelation.  Opened  eyes  are  use- 
less, if  commandments  are  hidden  ;  and  the  disclosure 
of  the  latter  is  in  vain  unless  there  are  eyes  to  sec 
them.  Two  great  truths  lie  in  the  former  petition — 
namely,  that  scales  cover  our  spiritual  vision  which 
only  God  can  take  away,  and  that  His  revelation  has 
in  its  depths  truths  and  treasures  which  can  only  be 
discerned  by  Mis  help.     The  cognate  petition  in  ver.  19 


cxix.]  THE   rSALMS  251 

is  based  upon  the  pathetic  thought  that  man  is  a 
stranger  on  earth,  and  therefore  needs  what  will  take 
away  his  sense  of  homelessness  and  unrest.  All  other 
creatures  are  adapted  to  their  environments,  but  he 
has  a  consciousness  that  he  is  an  exile  here,  a  haunting, 
stinging  sense,  which  vaguely  feels  after  repose  in  his 
native  land.  "Thy  commandments"  can  still  it.  To 
know  God's  will,  with  knowledge  which  is  acceptance 
and  love,  gives  rest,  and  makes  every  place  a  mansion 
in  the  Father's  house. 

There  may  possibly  be  a  connection  between  vv.  20 
and  21 — the  terrible  fate  of  those  who  wander  from 
the  commandments,  as  described  in  the  latter  verse, 
being  the  motive  for  the  psalmist's  longing  expressed 
in  the  former.  The  "judgments  "  for  which  he  longed, 
with  a  yearning  which  seemed  to  bruise  his  soul  are 
not,  as  might  be  supposed,  God's  judicial  acts,  bitt  the 
word  is  a  synonym  for  "  commandments,"  as  throughout 
the  psalm. 

The  last  three  verses  of  the  section  appear  to  be 
linked  together.  They  relate  to  the  persecutions  of  the 
psalmist  for  his  faithfulness  to  God's  law.  In  ver.  22 
he  prays  that  reproach  and  shame,  which  wrapped 
him  like  a  covering,  may  be  lifted  from  him  ;  and  his 
plea  in  ver.  22  b  declares  that  he  la}^  under  these 
because  he  was  true  to  God's  statutes.  In  ver.  23  we 
see  the  source  of  the  reproach  and  shame,  in  the  con- 
clave of  men  in  authority,  whether  foreign  princes  or 
Jewish  rulers,  who  were  busy  slandering  him  and 
plotting  his  ruin  ;  while,  with  wonderful  beauty,  the 
contrasted  picture  in  b  shows  the  object  of  that  busy  talk, 
sitting  silently  absorbed  in  meditation  on  the  higher 
things  of  God's  statutes.  As  long  as  a  man  can  do  tliat, 
he  has  a  magic  circle  drawn  round  him,  across  which 


252  THE  PSALMS 


fears  and  cares  cannot  step.  Ver.  24  heightens  the 
impression  of  the  psahnist's  rest.  "  Also  Thy  testi- 
monies are  my  dehght " — not  only  the  subjects  of  his 
meditation,  but  bringing  inward  sweetness,  though 
earth  is  in  arms  against  him  ;  and  not  only  are  they  his 
delights,  but  "  the  men  of  his  counsel,"  in  whom  he, 
solitary  as  he  is,  finds  companionship  that  arms  him 
with  resources  against  that  knot  of  whispering  enemies. 

25  My  soul  cleaves  to  the  dust, 
Revive  me  according  to  Thy  word. 

26  My  ways  I  told  and  Tliou  answeredst  me, 
Teach  me  Thy  statutes. 

27  The  way  of  Thy  precepts  make  me  understand, 
And  I  will  meditate  on  Thy  wonders. 

28  My  soul  weeps  itself  away  for  grief, 
Raise  me  up  according  to  Thy  word. 

29  The  way  of  lying  remove  from  me. 
And  [with]  Thy  law  be  gracious  to  me. 

30  The  way  of  faithfulness  I  have  chosen, 
Thy  judgments  have  I  set  [before  me]. 

31  I  have  cleaved  to  Thy  testimonies  ; 
Jehovah,  put  me  not  to  shame. 

32  The  way  of  Thy  commandments  will  I  run, 
For  Thou  dost  enlarge  my  heart. 

The  exigencies  of  the  acrostic  plan  are  very  obvious 
in  this  section,  five  of  the  verses  of  which  begin  with 
"  way "  or  "  ways,"  and  two  of  the  remaining  three 
with  "  cleaves."  The  variety  secured  under  such 
conditions  is  remarkable.  The  psalmist's  soul  cleaves 
to  the  dust — /.<'.,  is  bowed  in  mourning  (cf  xliv.  25)  ;  but 
still,  though  thus  darkened  by  sorrow  and  weeping 
itself  away  for  grief  (ver.  28),  it  cleaves  to  "Thy 
testimonies"  (ver.  31).  Happy  in  their  sorrow  are 
they  who,  by  reason  of  the  force  which  bows  their 
sensitive  nature  to  the  dust,  cling  the  more  closely  in 


cxix.]  THE  PSALMS  253 

their  true  selves  to  the  declared  will  of  God  !  Their 
sorrow  appeals  to  God's  heart,  and  is  blessed  if  it 
dictates  the  prayer  for  His  quickening  (ver.  25).  Their 
cleaving  to  His  law  warrants  their  hope  that  He  will 
not  put  them  to  shame. 

The  first  pair  of  verses  in  which  "  way "  is  the 
acrostic  word  (vv.  26,  27)  sets  "  my  ways  "  over  against 
*'  the  way  of  Thy  precepts."  The  psalmist  has  made 
God  his  confidant,  telling  Him  all  his  life's  story, 
and  has  found  continual  answers,  in  gifts  of  mercy 
and  inward  whispers.  He  asks,  therefore,  for  further 
illumination,  which  will  be  in  accordance  with  these 
past  mutual  communications.  Tell  God  thy  ways  and 
He  will  teach  thee  His  statutes.  The  franker  our 
confession,  the  more  fervent  our  longing  for  fuller 
knowledge  of  His  will.  "  The  way  of  Thy  precepts  " 
is  the  practical  life  according  to  these,  the  ideal  which 
shall  rebuke  and  transform  "  my  ways."  The  singer's 
crooked  course  is  spread  before  God,  and  he  longs  to 
see  clearly  the  straight  path  of  duty,  on  which  he  vows 
that  he  will  meditate,  and  find  wonders  in  the  revela- 
tion of  God's  will.  Many  a  sunbeam  is  wasted  for 
want  of  intent  eyes.  The  prayer  for  understanding  is 
vain  without  the  vow  of  pondering.  The  next  pair  of 
"  way-"  verses  (vv.  29,  30)  contrasts  ways  of  "  lying  " 
and  of  **  faithfulness  " — i.e.,  sinful  life  which  is  false 
towards  God  and  erroneous  in  its  foundation  maxims, 
and  life  which  is  true  in  practice  to  Him  and  to  man's 
obligations.  The  psalmist  prays  that  the  former  may 
be  put  far  from  him  ;  for  he  feels  that  it  is  only  too 
near,  and  his  unhelped  feet  too  ready  to  enter  on  it. 
He  recognises  the  inmost  meaning  of  the  Law  as  an 
outcome  of  God's  favour.  It  is  not  harsh,  but  glowing 
with  love,  God's  best  gift.     The  prayer  in  ver.  29  has 


254  THE  PSALMS 


the  psalmist's  deliberate  choice  in  ver.  30  as  its  plea. 
That  choice  does  not  lift  him  above  the  need  of  God's 
help,  and  it  gives  him  a  claim  thereon.  Our  wills  may 
seem  fixed,  but  the  gap  between  choice  and  practice  is 
wide,  and  our  feebleness  will  not  bridge  it,  unless  He 
strengthens  us.  So  the  last  verse  of  this  section 
humbly  vows  to  transform  meditation  and  choice  into 
action,  and  to  "run  the  way  of  God's  commandments," 
in  thanksgiving  for  the  joy  with  which,  while  the 
psalmist  prays,  he  feels  that  his  heart  swells. 

§n 

33  Teach  me,  Jehovah,  the  way  of  Thy  statutes, 
And  I  will  keep  it  to  the  end. 

34  Make  me  understand  so  that  I  may  keep  Thy  law, 
And  I  will  observe  it  with  [my]  whole  heart. 

35  Make  me  walk  in  the  path  of  Thy  commandments, 
For  in  it  I  delight. 

36  Incline  my  heart  to  Thy  testimonies, 
And  not  to  plunder. 

37  Make  my  eyes  go  aside  from  beholding  vanity. 
In  Thy  ways  revive  me. 

38  Confirm  to  Thy  servant  Thy  promise. 
Which  tends  to  Thy  fear. 

39  Make  my  reproach  pass  away  which  I  dread, 
For  Thy  judgments  are  good. 

40  Behold,  I  have  longed  for  Thy  precepts, 
In  Thy  righteousness  revive  mc. 

Vv.  33  and  34  are  substantially  identical  in  their 
prayer  for  enlightenment  and  their  vow  of  obedience. 
Both  are  based  on  the  conviction  that  outward  revela- 
tion is  incomplete  without  inward  illumination.  Both 
recognise  the  necessary  priority  of  enlightened  reason 
as  condition  of  obedient  action,  and  such  action  as  the 
test  and  issue  of  enlightenment.  Both  vow  that 
knowledge  shall  not  remain  barren.  They  differ  in 
that  the  former  verse  pledges  the  psalmist  to  obedience 


cxix.]      .  THE  PSALMS  255 

unlimited  in  time  and  the  latter  to  obedience  without 
reservation.  But  even  in  uttering  his  vow  the  singer 
remembers  his  need  of  God's  help  to  keep  it,  and  turns 
it,  in  ver.  35,  into  petition,  which  he  very  significantly 
grounds  on  his  heart's  delight  in  the  Law.  Warm  as 
that  delight  may  be,  circumstances  and  flesh  will  cool 
it,  and  it  is  ever  a  struggle  to  translate  desires  into 
deeds.  Therefore  we  need  the  sweet  constraint  of  our 
Divine  Helper  to  make  us  walk  in  the  right  way. 
Again,  in  ver.  "^6  the  preceding  profession  is  caught 
up  and  modulated  into  petition.  "  Incline  my  heart " 
stands  to  **  In  it  I  delight,"  just  as  "  Make  me  walk  " 
does  to  "  I  will  observe  it."  Our  purest  joys  in  God 
and  in  His  Will  depend  on  Him  for  their  permanence 
and  increase.  Our  hearts  are  apt  to  spill  their  affection 
on  the  earth,  even  while  we  would  bear  the  cup  filled 
to  God.  And  one  chief  rival  of  *'  Thy  testimonies  "  is 
worldly  gain,  from  which  there  must  be  forcible  detach- 
ment in  order  to,  and  as  accompaniment  of,  attachment 
to  God.  All  possessions  which  come  between  us  and 
Him  are  "  plunder,"  unjust  gain. 

The  heart  is  often  led  astray  by  the  eyes.  The 
senses  bring  fuel  to  its  unholy  flames.  Therefore,  the 
next  petition  (ver.  37)  asks  that  they  may  be  made,  as 
it  were,  to  pass  on  one  side  of  tempting  things,  which 
are  branded  as  being  **  vanity,"  without  real  substance 
or  worth,  however  they  may  glitter  and  solicit  the  gaze. 
To  look  longingly  on  earth's  good  makes  us  torpid  in 
God's  ways  ;  and  to  be  earnest  in  the  latter  makes  us 
dead  to  the  former.  There  is  but  one  real  life  for  men, 
the  life  of  union  with  God  and  of  obedience  to  His 
commandments.  Therefore,  the  singer  prays  to  be 
revived  in  God's  ways.  Experience  of  God's  faithful- 
ness to  His  plighted  word  will  do  much  to  deliver  from 


256  THE  PSALMS 


earth's  glamour,  as  ver.  38  implies.  The  second  clause 
is  elliptical  in  Hebrew,  and  is  now  usually  taken  as 
above,  meaning  that  God's  promise  fulfilled  leads  men 
to  reverence  Him.  But  the  rendering  "  who  is  [devoted] 
to  Thy  fear"  is  tenable  and  perhaps  better.  The 
"  reproach  "  in  ver.  39  is  probably  that  which  would 
fall  on  the  psalmist  if  he  were  unfaithful  to  God's  law. 
This  interpretation  gives  the  best  meaning  to  ver.  39  b, 
which  would  then  contain  the  reason  for  his  desire  to 
keep  the  "judgments" — i.e.,  the  commandments,  not 
the  judicial  acts — which  he  feels  to  be  good.  The 
section  ends  with  a  constantly  recurring  strain.  God's 
righteousness,  His  strict  discharge  of  all  obligations, 
guarantees  that  no  longing,  turned  to  Him,  can  be  left 
unsatisfied.  The  languishing  desire  will  be  changed 
into  fuller  joy  of  more  vigorous  life.  The  necessary 
precursor  of  deeper  draughts  from  the  Fountain  of 
Life  is  thirst  for  it,  which  faithfully  turns  aside  from 
earth's  sparkling  but  drugged  potions. 

§1 

41  And  let  Thy  lovingkindnesscs  come  to  me,  Jehovah, 
Thy  salvation  according  to  Thy  promise. 

42  And  I  shall  have  a  word  to  answer  him  that  reproaches  me, 
For  I  trust  in  Thy  word. 

43  And  pluck  not  the  word  of  truth  out  of  my  mouth  utterly, 
For  I  have  waited  for  Thy  judgments. 

44  And  I  would  observe  Thy  law  continually. 
For  ever  and  aye. 

45  And  I  would  walk  at  liberty. 
For  I  have  sought  Thy  precepts. 

46  And  1  would  speak  of  Thy  testimonies  before  kings. 
And  not  be  ashamed. 

47  And  1  will  delight  myself  in  Thy  judgments. 
Which  I  love. 

48  And   I  will  lift  up  my  palms  to  Thy  commandments  [which  I 

love], 
And  meditate  on  Thy  statutes. 


cxix.]  THE  PSALMS  257 

There  are  practically  no  Hebrew  words  beginning 
with  the  letter  required  as  the  initial  in  this  section, 
except  the  copula  "  and."  Each  verse  begins  with  it, 
and  it  is  best  to  retain  it  in  translation,  so  as  to 
reproduce  in  some  measure  the  original  impression  of 
uniformity.  The  verses  are  aggregated  rather  than 
linked.  "  And  "  sometimes  introduces  a  consequence, 
as  probably  in  ver.  42,  and  sometimes  is  superfluous 
in  regard  to  the  sense.  A  predominant  reference  to 
the  duty  of  bearing  witness  to  the  Truth  runs  through 
the  section.  The  prayer  in  ver.  41  for  the  visits  of 
God's  lovingkindnesses  which,  in  their  sum,  make 
salvation,  and  are  guaranteed  by  His  word  of  promise, 
is  urged  on  the  ground  that,  by  experience  of  these,  the 
psalmist  will  have  his  answer  ready  for  all  carpers  who 
scoff  at  him  and  his  patient  faith.  Such  a  prayer  is 
entirely  accordant  with  the  hypothesis  that  the  speaker 
is  the  collective  Israel,  but  not  less  so  with  the  supposi- 
tion that  he  is  an  individual.  "  Whereas  I  was  blind, 
now  I  see "  is  an  argument  that  silences  sarcasm. 
Ver.  43  carries  on  the  thought  of  witnessing  and  asks 
that  "the  word  of  truth" — />.,  the  Law  considered  as 
disclosure  of  truth  rather  than  of  duty — may  not  be 
snatched  from  the  witness's  mouth,  as  it  would  be 
if  God's  promised  lovingkindnesses  failed  him.  The 
condition  of  free  utterance  is  rich  experience.  If 
prayers  had  gone  up  in  vain  from  the  psalmist's  lips, 
no  glad  proclamation  could  come  from  them. 

The  verbs  at  the  beginnings  of  w.  44-46  are  best 
taken  as  optatives,  expressing  what  the  psalmist  would 
fain  do,  and,  to  some  extent,  has  done.  There  is  no 
true  religion  without  that  longing  for  unbroken  confor- 
mity with  the  manifest  will  of  God.  Whoever  makes 
that  his  deepest  desire,  and  seeks  after  God's  precepts, 

VOL,  HI.  17 


258  THE  PSALMS 


will  "  walk  at  liberty,"  or  at  large,  for  restraints  that 
are  loved  are  not  bonds,  and  freedom  consists  not  in 
doing  as  I  would,  but  in  willing  to  do  as  I  ought. 
Strong  in  such  emancipation  from  the  hindrances  of  one's 
own  passions,  and  triumphant  over  external  circum- 
stances which  may  mould,  but  not  dominate,  a  God- 
obeying  life,  the  psalmist  would  fain  open  his  mouth 
unabashed  before  rulers.  The  "kings"  spoken  of  in 
ver.  46  may  be  foreign  rulers,  possibly  the  representa- 
tives of  the  Persian  monarch,  or  later  alien  sovereigns, 
or  the  expression  may  be  quite  general,  and  the 
speaker  be  a  private  person,  who  feels  his  courage 
rising  as  he  enters  into  the  liberty  of  perfect  sub- 
mission. 

Vv.  47,  48,  are  general  expressions  of  delight  in  the 
Law.  Lifting  the  hands  towards  the  commandments 
seems  to  be  a  figure  for  reverent  regard,  or  longing, 
as  one  wistfully  stretches  them  out  towards  some  dear 
person  or  thing  that  one  would  fain  draw  closer.  The 
phrase  "  which  I  love "  in  ver.  48  overweights  the 
clause,  and  is  probably  a  scribe's  erroneous  repetition 
of  47  b. 

49  Remember  the  word  to  Thy  servant, 
On  which  Thou  hast  caused  mc  to  hope. 

50  This  is  my  comfort  in  my  affliction, 
That  Thy  promise  has  given  me  life. 

51  The  proud  have  derided  me  exceedingly. 
From  Thy  law  I  have  not  declined. 

52  I   have  remembered  Thy  judgments  [which  are]  from  of  old, 

Jehovah, 
And  I  have  comforted  myself. 

53  Fiery  anger  has  seized  me  because  of  the  wicked, 
Who  forsake  Thy  law. 

54  Thy  statutes  have  been  songs  for  mc. 
In  my  house  of  sojourning. 


cxix.]  THE  PSALMS  259 

55  I  remembered  Thy  name  in  the  night,  Jehovah, 
And  observed  Thy  law. 

56  This  good  has  been  mine, 
That  I  have  Itept  Thy  precepts. 

This  section  has  only  one  verse  of  petition,  the 
others  being  mainly  avowals  of  adherence  to  the  Law  in 
the  face  of  various  trials.  The  single  petition  (ver.  49) 
pleads  the  relation  of  servant,  as  giving  a  claim  on  the 
great  Lord  of  the  household,  and  adduces  God's  having 
encouraged  hope  as  imposing  on  Him  an  obligation  to 
fulfil  it.  Expectations  fairly  deduced  from  His  word 
are  prophets  of  their  own  realisation.  In  ver.  50, 
"  This  "  points  to  the  fact  stated  in  b — namely,  that 
the  Word  had  already  proved  its  power  in  the  past  by 
quickening  the  psalmist  to  new  courage  and  hope — and 
declares  that  that  remembered  experience  solaces  his 
present  sorrow.  A  heart  that  has  been  revived  by 
life-giving  contact  with  the  Word  has  a  hidden  warmth 
beneath  the  deepest  snows,  and  cleaves  the  more  to  that 
Word. 

Vv.  51-53  describe  the  attitude  of  the  lover  of  the 
Law  in  presence  of  the  ungodly.  He  is  as  unmoved 
by  shafts  of  ridicule  as  by  the  heavier  artillery  of 
slander  and  plots  (ver.  23).  To  be  laughed  out  of 
one's  faith  is  even  worse  than  to  be  terrified  out  of  it. 
The  lesson  is  not  needless  in  a  day  when  adherence 
and  obedience  to  the  Word  are  smiled  at  in  so  many 
quarters  as  indicating  inferior  intelligence.  The  psalmist 
held  fast  by  it,  and  while  laughter,  with  more  than  a 
trace  of  bitterness,  rung  about  him,  threw  himself  back 
on  God's  ancient  and  enduring  words,  which  made 
the  scoffs  sound  very  hollow  and  transient  (ver.  52). 
Righteous  indignation,  too,  rises  in  a  devout  soul  at 
sight  of  men's  departure  from  God's  law  (ver.  53).     The 


26o  THE  PSALMS 


word  rendered  "fiery  anger"  is  found  in  xi.  6  ("a 
wind  of  biirnhig  "),  and  is  best  taken  as  above,  though 
some  would  render  horror.  The  wrath  was  not  un- 
mingled  \vith  compassion  (ver.  136),  and,  whilst  it  is 
clearly  an  emotion  belonging  to  the  Old  Testament 
rather  than  to  the  Christian  type  of  devotion,  it  should 
be  present,  in  softened  form,  in  our  feelings  towards  evil. 
In  ver.  54  the  psalmist  turns  from  gainsayers.  He 
strikes  again  the  note  of  ver.  19,  calling  earth  his  place 
of  transitory  abode,  or,  as  we  might  say,  his  inn.  The 
brevity  of  life  would  be  crushing,  if  God  had  not  spoken 
to  us.  Since  He  has,  the  pilgrims  can  march  "  with 
songs  and  everlasting  joy  upon  their  heads,"  and  all 
about  their  moving  camp  the  sound  of  song  may  echo. 
To  its  lovers,  God's  law  is  not  "  harsh  and  crabbed  .  .  . 
but  musical  as  is  Apollo's  lute."  This  psalm  is  one  of 
the  poet's  songs.  Even  those  of  us  who  are  not  singers 
can  and  should  meditate  on  God's  law,  till  its  melodious 
beauty  is  disclosed  and  its  commandments,  that  some- 
times sound  stern,  set  themselves  to  rhythm  and 
harmony.  As  God's  words  took  bitterness  out  of  the 
thought  of  mortality,  so  His  name  remembered  in  the 
night  brought  light  into  darkness,  whether  physical  or 
other.  Wc  often  lose  our  memory  of  God  and  our  hold 
of  His  hand  when  in  sorrow,  and  grief  sometimes  thinks 
that  it  has  a  dispensation  from  obedience.  So  we  shall 
be  the  better  for  remembering  the  psalmist's  experience, 
and  should,  like  him,  cling  to  the  Name  in  the  dark, 
and  then  we  shall  have  light  enough  to  "  observe  Thy 
law."  Ver.  56  looks  back  on  the  mingled  life  of  good 
and  evil,  of  which  some  of  the  sorrows  have  just  been 
touched,  and  speaks  deep  contentment  with  its  portion. 
Whatever  else  is  withheld  or  withdrawn,  that  lot  is 
blessed  which  has  been  helped  by  God  to   keep  His 


cxix.]  THE  PSALMS  j26i 

precepts,  and  they  are  happy  and  wise  who  deliberately 
prefer  that  good  to  all  beside. 

§n 

57  My  portion  is  Jehovah, 

I  have  said  that  I  would  observe  Thy  words. 

58  I  have  sought  Thy  favour  with  my  whole  heart, 
Be  merciful  to  me  according  to  Thy  promise. 

59  I  have  thought  on  my  ways. 

And  turned  my  feet  to  Thy  testimonies. 

60  I  hasted  and  delaj^ed  not 

To  observe  Thy  commandments. 

61  The  cords  of  the  wicked  have  enwrapped  me, 
Thy  law  have  I  not  forgotten. 

62  At  midnight  will  I  rise  to  thank  Thee, 
Because  of  Thy  righteous  judgments, 

63  A  companion  am  I  of  all  who  fear  Thee, 
And  of  those  who  observe  Thy  precepts. 

64  Of  Thy  lovingkindness,  Jehovah,  the  earth  is  full. 
Thy  statutes  do  Thou  teach  me. 

Ver.  57  goes  to  the  root  of  the  matter  in  setting 
forth  the  resolve  of  obedience  as  the  result  of  the  con- 
sciousness of  possessing  God.  He  who  feels,  in  his 
own  happy  heart,  that  Jehovah  is  his  portion  will  be 
moved  thereby  to  vow  to  keep  His  words.  This 
psalmist  had  learned  the  evangelical  lesson  that  he  did 
not  win  God  by  keeping  the  Law,  but  that  he  was 
moved  to  keep  the  Law  because  he  had  won  God  ;  and 
he  had  also  learned  the  companion  truth,  that  the  way 
to  retain  that  possession  is  obedience. 

Ver.  58  corresponds  in  some  measure  to  ver.  57,  but 
the  order  of  clauses  is  inverted,  a  stating  the  psalmist's 
prayer,  as  ver.  57  ^  did  his  resolve,  and  b  building  on 
his  cry  the  hope  that  God  would  be  truly  his  portion 
and  bestow  His  favour  on  him.  But  the  true  ground 
of  our  hope  is  not  our  most  whole-hearted  prayers,  but 
God's  promise.     The  following  five  verses  change  from 


262  THE   PSALMS 


the  key  of  petition  into  that  of  profession  of  obedience 
to,  and  dehght  in,  the  Law.  The  fruit  of  wise  considera- 
tion of  one's  conduct  is  willing  acceptance  of  God's  law 
as  His  witness  of  what  is  right  for  us.  The  only 
"  ways "  which  sober  consideration  will  approve  are 
those  marked  out  in  mercy  by  Him,  and  meditation  on 
conduct  is  worthless  if  it  does  not  issue  in  turning  our 
feet  into  these.  Without  such  meditation  we  shall 
wander  on  bye-ways  and  lose  ourselves.  Want  of 
thought  ruins  men  (ver.  59).  But  such  turning  of  our 
feet  to  the  right  road  has  many  foes,  and  chief  among 
them  is  lingering  delay.  Therefore  resolve  must  never 
be  let  cool,  but  be  swiftly  carried  into  action  (ver.  60). 
The  world  is  full  of  snares,  and  they  lie  thick  round 
our  feet  whenever  these  are  turned  towards  God's 
ways.  The  only  means  of  keeping  clear  of  them  is  to 
fix  heart  and  mind  on  God's  law.  Then  we  shall  be 
able  to  pick  our  steps  among  traps  and  pits  (ver.  61). 
Physical  weariness  limits  obedience,  and  needful  sleep 
relaxes  nervous  tension,  so  that  many  a  strenuous  worker 
and  noble  aspirant  falls  beneath  his  daylight  self  in 
wakeful  night  seasons.  Blessed  they  who  in  the  night 
see  visions  of  God  and  meditate  on  His  law,  not  on 
earthly  vanities  or  aims  (ver.  62).  Society  has  its 
temptations  as  solitude  has.  The  man  whose  heart 
has  fed  in  secret  on  God  and  His  law  will  naturally 
gravitate  towards  like-minded  people.  Our  relation  to 
God  and  His  uttered  will  should  determine  our  affini- 
ties with  men,  and  it  is  a  bad  sign  when  natural  impulses 
do  not  draw  us  to  those  who  fear  God.  Two  men  who 
have  that  fear  in  common  are  liker  each  other  in  their 
deepest  selves,  however  different  they  may  be  in  other 
respects,  than  either  of  them  is  to  those  to  whom  he 
is  likest  in  surface    characteristics  and   unlike  in  this 


cxix.]  THE  PSALMS  263 


supreme  trait  (ver.  63).  One  pathetic  petition  closes 
the  section.  In  ver.  19  the  psahiiist  had  based  his 
prayer  for  illumination  on  his  being  a  stranger  on  earth  ; 
here  he  grounds  it  on  the  plenitude  of  God's  loving- 
kindness,  which  floods  the  world.  It  is  the  same  plea 
in  another  form.  All  creatures  bask  in  the  light  of 
God's  love,  which  falls  on  each  in  a  manner  appropriate 
to  its  needs.  Man's  supreme  need  is  the  knowledge 
of  God's  statutes ;  therefore,  the  same  all-embracing 
Mercy,  which  cares  for  these  happy,  careless  creatures, 
will  not  be  implored  in  vain,  to  satisfy  his  nobler  and 
more  pressing  want.  All  beings  get  their  respective 
boons  unasked  ;  but  the  pre-eminence  of  ours  is  partly 
seen  in  this,  that  it  cannot  be  given  without  the  co- 
operation of  our  desire.  It  will  be  given  wherever  that 
condition  is  fulfilled  (ver.  64). 

§  D 

65  Good  hast  Thou  done  with  Thy  servant, 
Jehovah,  according  to  Thy  word. 

66  Good  judgment  and  Itnowledge  teach  me, 
For  1  have  believed  Thy  commandments. 

67  Before  I  was  afflicted,  I  went  astray, 
But  now  have  I  observed  Thy  saying. 

68  Good  art  Thou  and  doing  good, 
Teach  me  Thy  statutes. 

69  The  proud  have  trumped  up  a  lie  against  me, 

I,  I  with  all  [my]  heart  will  keep  Thy  precepts. 

70  Gross  as  fat  is  their  heart, 
I,  I  delight  in  Thy  law. 

71  Good  for  me  was  it  that  1  was  afflicted, 
That  I  might  learn  Thy  statutes. 

72  Good  for  me  is  the  law  of  Thy  mouth. 
Above  thousands  of  gold  and  silver. 

The  restrictions  of  the  acrostic  structure  are  very 
obvious  in  this  section,  five  of  the  eight  verses  of  which 
begin   with   "  Good."     The  epithet  is  ^st  applied    in 


264  THE  PSALMS 


ver.  65  to  the  whole  of  God's  dealings  with  the 
psalmist.  To  the  devout  soul  all  life  is  of  one  piece, 
and  its  submission  and  faith  exercise  transmuting 
power  on  pains  and  sorrows,  so  that  the  psalmist  can 
say— 

"  Let  one  more  attest, 
I  have  lived,  seen  God's  hand  through  a  lifetime. 
And  all  was  for  best." 

The  epithet  is  next  applied  (ver.  66)  to  the  perception 
(lit.  taste)  or  faculty  of  discernment  of  good  and  evil, 
for  which  the  psalmist  prays,  basing  his  petition  on  his 
belief  of  God's  word.  Swift,  sure,  and  delicate  apprehen- 
sion of  right  and  wrong  comes  from  such  belief.  The 
heart  in  which  it  reigns  is  sensitive  as  a  goldsmith's 
scales  or  a  thermometer  which  visibly  sinks  when  a 
cloud  passes  before  the  sun.  The  instincts  of  faith 
work  surely  and  rapidly.  The  settled  judgment  that 
life  had  been  good  includes  apparent  evil  (ver.  6"]^, 
which  is  real  evil  in  so  far  as  it  pains,  but  is,  in  a 
deeper  view,  good,  inasmuch  as  it  scourges  a  wandering 
heart  back  to  true  obedience  and  therefore  to  well-being. 
The  words  of  ver.  Gj  are  specially  appropriate  as  the 
utterance  of  the  Israel  purified  from  idolatrous  tenden- 
cies by  captivity,  but  may  also  be  the  expression  of 
individual  experience.  The  epithet  is  next  applied  to 
God  Himself  (ver.  68).  How  steadfast  a  gaze  into  the 
depths  of  the  Divine  nature  and  over  the  broad  field  of 
the  Divine  activity  is  in  that  short,  all-including  clause, 
containing  but  three  words  in  the  Hebrew,  "  Good  art 
Thou  and  doing  good  "  !  The  prayer  built  on  it  is  the 
one  which  continually  recurs  in  this  psalm,  and  is 
reached  by  many  paths.  Every  view  of  man's  con- 
dition, whether  it  is  bright  or  dark,  and  every  thought 
of  God,  bring  the  psalmist  to  the  same  desire.      Here 


cxix.]  THE  PSALMS  265 


God's  character  and  beneficence,  widespread  and  con- 
tinual, prompt  to  the  prayer,  both  because  the  know- 
ledge of  His  will  is  our  highest  good,  and  because  a 
good  God  cannot  but  wish  His  servants  to  be  like 
Himself,  in  loving  righteousness  and  hating  iniquity. 

Vv.  69  and  70  are  a  pair,  setting  forth  the  antithesis, 
frequent  in  the  psalm,  between  evil  men's  conduct  to 
the  psalmist  and  his  tranquil  contemplation  of,  and 
delight  in,  God's  precepts.  False  slanders  buzz  about 
him,  but  he  cleaves  to  God's  Law,  and  is  conscious 
of  innocence.  Men  are  dull  and  insensible,  as  if  their 
hearts  were  waterproofed  with  a  layer  of  grease, 
through  which  no  gentle  rain  from  heaven  could  steal ; 
but  the  psalmist  is  all  the  more  led  to  open  his  heart 
to  the  gracious  influences  of  that  law,  because  others 
close  theirs.  If  a  bad  man  is  not  made  worse  by 
surrounding  evil,  he  is  made  better  by  it. 

Just  as  in  vv.  65  and  68  the  same  thought  of  God's 
goodness  is  expressed,  ver.  71  repeats  the  thought  of 
ver.  6y,  with  a  slight  deepening.  There  the  beneficent 
influence  of  sorrow  was  simply  declared  as  a  fact ; 
here  it  is  thankfully  accepted,  with  full  submission  and 
consent  of  the  will.  "  Good  for  me  "  means  not  only 
good  in  fact,  but  in  my  estimate.  The  repetition  of 
the  phrase  at  the  beginning  of  the  next  verse  throws 
light  on  its  meaning  in  ver.  71.  The  singer  thinks 
that  he  has  two  real  goods,  pre-eminent  among  the 
uniform  sequence  of  such,  and  these  are,  first,  his 
sorrows,  which  he  reckons  to  be  blessings,  because 
they  have  helped  him  to  a  firmer  grasp  of  the  other, 
the  real  good  for  every  man,  the  Law  which  is  sacred 
and  venerable,  because  it  has  come  from  the  very  lips 
of  Deity.  That  is  our  true  wealth.  Happy  they  whose 
estimate  of  it  corresponds  to  its  real  worth,  and  who 


266  THE  PSALMS 


have  learned,   by  affliction  or  anyhow,  that    material 
riches  are  dross,  compared  with  its  solid  preciousness ! 

§^ 

73  Thy  hands  have  made  me  and  fashioned  me, 

Give  me  understanding  that  I  may  learn  Thy  commandments. 

74  Let  those  who  fear  Thee  see  me  and  rejoice, 
For  I  have  waited  for  Thy  word. 

75  I  know,  Jehovah,  that  Thy  judgments  are  in  righteousness, 
And  that  [in]  faithfulness  Thou  hast  afflicted  me. 

76  Oh  let  Thy  lovingkindness  be  [sent]  to  comfort  me. 
According  to  Thy  promise  to  Thy  servant. 

77  Let  Thy  compassions  come  to  me  that  I  may  live, 
For  Thy  law  is  my  delight. 

78  Let  the  proud  be  shamed,  for  they  have  lyingly  dealt  perversely 

with  me  ; 
I,  I  meditate  on  Thy  precepts. 

79  Let  those  who  fear  Thee  turn  to  me. 
And  they  shall  know  Thy  testimonies. 

So  Let  my  heart  be  sound  in  Thy  statutes. 
That  I  be  not  shamed. 

Prayer  for  illumination  is  confined  to  the  first  and 
last  verses  of  this  section,  the  rest  of  which  is  mainly 
occupied  with  petitions  for  gracious  providences,  based 
upon  the  grounds  of  the  psalmist's  love  of  the  Law, 
and  of  the  encouragement  to  others  to  trust,  derivable 
from  his  experience.  Ver.  y^,  puts  forcibly  the  thought 
that  man  is  evidently  an  incomplete  fragment,  unless 
the  gift  of  understanding  is  infused  into  his  material 
frame.  God  has  begun  by  shaping  it,  and  therefore 
is  pledged  to  go  on  to  bestow  spiritual  discernment, 
when  His  creature  asks  it.  But  that  prayer  will  only 
be  answered  if  the  suppliant  intends  to  use  the  gift 
for  its  right  purpose  of  learning  God's  statutes.  Ver.  74 
prays  that  the  psalmist  may  be  a  witness  that  hope 
in  His  word  is  never  vain,  and  so  that  his  deliverances 
may  be  occasions  of  widespread  gladness.  God's 
honour  is   involved  in  answering  His  servant's  trust. 


THE   PSALMS  267 


Vv.  75-77  are  linked  together.  "Judgments"  (ver.  75) 
seem  to  mean  here  providential  acts,  not,  as  generally 
in  this  psalm,  the  Law.  The  acknowledgment  of  the 
justice  and  faithfulness  which  send  sorrows  precedes 
the  two  verses  of  petition  for  "  lovingkindness  "  and 
"compassions."  Sorrows  still  sting  and  burn,  though 
recognised  as  sent  in  love,  and  the  tried  heart  yearns 
for  these  other  messengers  to  come  from  God  to 
sustain  and  soothe.  God's  promise  and  the  psalmist's 
delight  in  God's  law  are  the  double  ground  of  the  twin 
petitions.  Then  follow  three  verses  which  are  dis- 
cernibly  connected,  as  expressing  desires  in  regard 
to  "  the  proud,"  the  devout,  and  the  psalmist  himself 
He  prays  that  the  first  may  be  shamed — i.e.^  that  their 
deceitful  or  causeless  hostility  may  be  balked — and,  as 
in  several  other  verses,  contrasts  his  own  peaceful 
absorption  in  the  Law  with  their  machinations.  He 
repeats  the  prayer  of  ver.  74  with  a  slight  difference, 
asking  that  his  deliverance  may  draw  attention  to  him, 
and  that  others  may,  from  contemplating  his  security, 
come  to  know  the  worth  of  God's  testimonies.  In 
ver.  79  b  the  text  reads  "  they  shall  know "  (as  the 
result  of  observing  the  psalmist),  which  the  Hebrew 
margin  needlessly  alters  into  "  those  who  know."  For 
himself  he  prays  that  his  heart  may  be  sound,  or 
thoroughly  devoted  to  keep  the  law,  and  then  he  is 
sure  that  nothing  shall  ever  put  him  to  shame.  "  Who 
is  he  who  will  harm  you,  if  ye  be  zealous  for  that 
which  is  good  ?  " 

§3 

81  My  soul  has  pined  for  Thy  salvation, 
For  TJiy  word  have  I  waited. 

82  My  eyes  have  pined  for  Thy  promise, 
Saying,  When  wilt  Thou  comfort  me  ? 


268  THE  PSALMS 


83  For  I  am  become  like  a  wine-skin  in  the  smoke  ; 
Thy  statutes  have  I  not  forgotten. 

84  How  many  are  the  days  of  Thy  servant  ? 

When  wilt  Thou  execute  judgment  on  my  persecutors  ? 

85  The  proud  have  digged  pits  for  me, 

— They  who  are  not  according  to  Thy  law. 

86  All  Thy  commandments  are  faithfulness, 
Lyingly  they  persecute  me,  help  Thou  me. 

87  They  had  all  but  made  an  end  of  me  on  earth, 
But  I,  I  have  not  forgotten  Thy  precepts. 

88  According  to  Thy  lovingkindness  revive  me, 
And  I  will  observe  the  testimonies  of  Thy  mouth. 

This  section  has  more  than  usual  continuity.  The 
psalmist  is  persecuted,  and  in  these  eight  verses  pours 
out  his  heart  to  God.  Taken  as  a  whole,  they  make 
a  lovely  picture  of  patient  endurance  and  submissive 
longing.  Intense  and  protracted  yearning  for  deliver- 
ance has  wasted  his  very  soul,  but  has  not  merged  in 
impatience  or  unbelief,  for  he  has  "  waited  for  Thy 
word."  His  eyes  have  ached  with  straining  for  the 
signs  of  approaching  comfort,  the  coming  of  which  he 
has  not  doubted,  but  the  delay  of  which  has  tried  his 
faith.  This  longing  has  been  quickened  by  troubles, 
which  have  wrapped  him  round  like  pungent  smoke- 
wreaths  eddying  among  the  rafters,  where  disused 
wine-skins  hang  and  get  blackened  and  wrinkled.  So 
has  it  been  with  him,  but,  through  all,  he  has  kept  hold 
of  God's  statutes.  So  he  plaintively  reminds  God  of 
the  brevity  of  his  life,  which  has  so  short  a  tale  of  days 
that  judgment  on  his  persecutors  must  be  swift,  if  it 
is  to  be  of  use.  Vv.  85-87  describe  the  busy  hostility 
of  his  foes.  It  is  truculently  contrary  to  God's  law, 
and  therefore,  as  is  implied,  worthy  of  God's  counter- 
working. Ver.  85  ^  is  best  taken  as  a  further 
description  of  the  "  proud,"  which  is  spread  before  God 
as  a  reason  for  His  judicial  action.     The  antithesis  in 


cxix.]  THE  PSALMS  269 

ver.  86,  between  the  "  faithfulness "  of  the  Law  and 
the  "  lying  "  persecutors,  is  the  ground  of  the  prayer, 
"  Help  Thou  me."  Even  in  extremest  peril,  when  he 
was  all  but  made  away  with,  the  psalmist  still  clung  to 
God's  precepts  (ver.  87),  and  therefore  he  is  heartened 
to  pray  for  reviving,  and  to  vow  that  then,  bound  by 
new  chains  of  gratitude,  he  will,  more  than  ever, 
observe  God's  testimonies.  The  measure  of  the  new 
wine  poured  into  the  shrivelled  wine-skin  is  nothing 
less  than  the  measureless  lovingkindness  of  God ;  and 
nothing  but  experience  of  His  benefits  melts  to 
obedience. 

89  For  ever,  Jehovah, 

Thy  word  is  set  fast  in  the  heavens. 

90  To  generation  after  generation  lasts  Thy  faithfidness, 
Thou  hast  established  the  earth,  and  it  stands  firm. 

91  According  to  Thy  ordinances  they  stand  firm  to-day, 
For  all  [things]  are  Thy  servants. 

92  Unless  Thy  law  had  been  my  delight, 
Then  had  I  perished  in  my  affliction. 

93  Never  will  I  forget  Thy  precepts, 
For  with  them  Thou  hast  revived  me. 

94  To  Thee  do  I  belong,  save  me, 
For  Thy  precepts  have  I  sought. 

95  For  me  have  the  wicked  waited  to  destroy  mc, 
Thy  testimonies  will  I  consider. 

96  To  all  perfection  have  I  seen  a  limit, 
Thy  commandment  is  exceeding  broad. 

The  stability  of  nature  witnesses  to  the  steadfastness 
of  the  Word  which  sustains  it.  The  Universe  began 
and  continues,  because  God  puts  forth  His  will.  The 
heavens  with  their  pure  depths  would  collapse,  and  all 
their  stars  would  flicker  into  darkness,  if  that  uttered 
Will  did  not  echo  through  their  overwhelming  spaces. 
The  solid   earth   would    not   be  solid,    but    for   God's 


270  THE  PSALMS 


power  immanent  in  it.  Heaven  and  earth  are  thus 
His  servants.  Ver.  91  a  may  possibly  picture  them 
as  standing  waiting  "/or  Thine  ordinances,"  but  the 
indefinite  preposition  is  probably  better  regarded  as 
equivalent  to  In  accordance  with.  The  psalmist  has 
reached  the  grand  conceptions  of  the  universal  reign  of 
God's  law,  and  of  the  continuous  forth-putting  of  God's 
will  as  the  sustaining  energy  of  all  things.  He  seeks 
to  link  himself  to  that  great  band  of  God's  servants, 
to  be  in  harmony  with  stars  and  storms,  with  earth 
and  ocean,  as  their  fellow-servant ;  but  yet  he  feels  that 
his  relation  to  God's  law  is  closer  than  theirs,  for  he 
can  delight  in  that  which  they  unconsciousl}'  obey. 
Such  delight  in  God's  uttered  will  changes  affliction 
from  a  foe,  threatening  life,  to  a  friend,  ministering 
strength  (ver.  92).  Nor  does  that  Law  when  loved 
only  avert  destruction  ;  it  also  increases  vital  power 
(ver.  93)  and  re-invigorates  the  better  self.  There  is 
a  sense  in  which  the  law  can  give  life  (Gal.  iii.  21),  but 
it  must  be  welcomed  and  enshrined  in  the  heart,  in 
order  to  do  so.  The  frequently  recurring  prayer  for 
"  salvation "  has  a  double  plea  in  ver.  94.  The  soul 
that  has  yielded  itself  to  God  in  joyful  obedience 
thereby  establishes  a  claim  on  Him.  He  cannot  but 
protect  His  own  possession.  Ownership  has  its  obli- 
gations, which  He  recognises.  The  second  plea  is 
drawn  from  the  psalmist's  seeking  after  God's  precepts, 
without  which  seeking  there  would  be  no  reality  in  his 
profession  of  being  God's.  To  seek  them  is  the  sure 
way  to  find  both  them  and  salvation  (ver.  94).  Whom 
God  saves,  enemies  will  vainly  try  to  destroy,  and, 
while  they  lurk  in  waiting  to  spring  on  the  psalmist, 
his  eyes  are  directed,  not  towards  them,  but  to  God's 
testimonies.     To  give  heed  to  these  is  the  sure  way 


cxix.]  THE  PSALMS  271 

to  escape  snares  (ver.  95).  Lifelong  experience  has 
taught  the  psalmist  that  there  is  a  flaw  in  every  human 
excellence,  a  limit  soon  reached  and  never  passed  to 
all  that  is  noblest  in  man ;  but  high  above  all  achieve- 
ments, and  stretching  beyond  present  vision,  is  the  fair 
ideal  bodied  forth  in  the  Law.  Since  it  is  God's 
commandment,  it  will  not  always  be  an  unreached 
ideal,  but  may  be  indefinitely  approximated  to ;  and  to 
contemplate  it  will  be  joy,  when  we  learn  that  it  is 
prophecy  because  it  is  commandment. 

97  How  I  love  Thy  law  ! 

All  the  day  is  it  my  meditation. 

98  Wiser  than  my  enemies  do  Thy  commandments  make  me, 
For  they  are  mine  for  ever. 

99  More  than  all  my  teachers  am  I  prudent, 
For  Thy  testimonies  are  my  meditation. 

100  More  than  the  aged  do  I  understand, 
For  Thy  precepts  have  I  kept. 

101  From  every  evil  path  have  I  held  back  my  feet, 
That  I  might  observe  Thy  word. 

102  From  Thy  judgments  have  I  not  departed, 
For  Thou,  Thou  hast  instructed  me. 

103  How  sweet  are  Thy  promises  to  my  palate, 
More  than  honey  to  my  mouth  ! 

104  By  Thy  precepts  I  have  understanding, 
Therefore  I  hate  every  path  of  falsehood. 

One  thought  pervades  this  section,  that  the  Law  is 
the  fountain  of  sweetest  wisdom.  The  rapture  of  love 
with  which  it  opens  is  sustained  throughout.  The 
psalmist  knows  that  he  has  not  merely  more  wisdom  of 
the  same  sort  as  his  enemies,  his  teachers,  and  the  aged 
have,  but  wisdom  of  a  better  kind.  His  foes  were  wise 
in  craft,  and  his  teachers  drew  their  instructions  from 
earthly  springs,  and  the  elders  had  learned  that  bitter, 


272  THE  PSALMS 


worldly  wisdom,  which  has  been  disillusioned  of  youth's 
unsuspectingness  and  dreams,  without  being  thereby 
led  to  grasp  that  which  is  no  illusion.  But  a  heart 
which  simply  keeps  to  the  Law  reaches,  in  its  simplicity, 
a  higher  truth  than  these  know,  and  has  instinctive 
discernment  of  good  and  evil.  Worldly  wisdom  is 
transient.  "Whether  there  be  knowledge,  it  shall  be 
done  away,"  but  the  wisdom  that  comes  with  the 
commandment  is  enduring  as  it  (ver.  98).  Meditation 
must  be  accompanied  with  practice,  in  order  to  make 
the  true  wisdom  one's  own.  The  depths  of  the  testi- 
monies must  be  sounded  by  patient  brooding  on  them, 
and  then  the  knowledge  thus  won  must  be  carried  into 
act.  To  do  what  we  know  is  the  sure  way  to  know 
it  better,  and  to  know  more  (vv.  99,  100).  And  that 
positive  obedience  has  to  be  accompanied  b}'  abstinence 
from  evil  ways ;  for  in  such  a  world  as  this  "  Thou 
shalt  not "  is  the  necessary  preliminary  to  "  Thou 
shalt."  The  psalmist  has  a  better  teacher  than  those 
whom  he  has  outgrown,  even  God  Himself,  and  His 
instruction  has  a  graciously  constraining  power,  which 
keeps  its  conscious  scholars  in  the  right  path  (ver.  102). 
These  thoughts  draw  another  exclamation  from  the 
poet,  who  feels,  as  he  reflects  on  his  blessings,  that 
the  law  beloved  ceases  to  be  harsh  and  is  delightsome 
as  well  as  healthgiving.  It  is  promise  as  well  as  law, 
for  God  will  help  us  to  be  what  He  commands  us  to 
be.  They  who  love  the  Lawgiver  find  sweetness  in 
the  law  (ver.  103).  And  this  is  the  blessed  effect  of 
the  wisdom  which  it  gives,  that  it  makes  us  quick  to 
detect  sophistries  which  tempt  into  forbidden  paths, 
and  fills  us  with  wholesome  detestation  of  these 
(ver.  104). 


cxix.]  THE  PSALMS  273 

§: 

105  A  lamp  to  my  foot  is  Thy  word, 
And  a  light  to  my  path. 

106  I  have  sworn,  and  have  fulfilled  it. 
To  observe  Thy  righteous  judgments. 

107  I  am  aftlicted  exceedingly, 

Jehovah,  revive  mc  according  to  Thy  word. 

108  The  free-will  offerings  of  my  mouth  accept,  I  pray  Thee, 

Jehovah, 
And  teach  me  Thy  judgments. 

109  My  soul  is  continually  in  my  hand. 
But  Thy  law  I  do  not  forget. 

no  The  wicked  have  laid  a  snare  for  me, 
Yet  from  Thy  precepts  I  do  not  stray. 

1 1 1  Thy  testimonies  have  I  taken  as  my  heritage  for  ever, 
For  the  joy  of  my  heart  are  they. 

112  I  have  inclined  my  heart  to  perform  Thy  statutes, 
For  ever,  [to  the]  end. 

A  lamp  is  for  night ;  light  shines  in  the  day.  The 
Word  is  both,  to  the  psalmist.  His  antithesis  may  be 
equivalent  to  a  comprehensive  declaration  that  the  Law 
is  light  of  every  sort,  or  it  may  intend  to  lay  stress  on 
the  varying  phases  of  experience,  and  turn  our  thoughts 
to  that  Word  which  will  gleam  guidance  in  darkness, 
and  shine,  a  better  sun,  on  bright  hours.  The  psalmist's 
choice,  not  merely  the  inherent  power  of  the  Law,  is 
expressed  in  ver.  105.  He  has  taken  it  for  his  guide, 
or,  as  vcr.  106  says,  has  sworn  and  kept  his  oath,  that 
he  would  observe  the  righteous  decisions,  which  would 
point  to  his  foot  the  true  path.  The  affliction  bemoaned 
in  ver.  107  is  probably  the  direct  result  of  the  conduct 
professed  in  ver.  106.  The  prayer  for  reviving,  which 
means  deliverance  from  outward  evils  rather  than 
spiritual  quickening,  is,  therefore,  presented  with  confi- 
dence, and  based  upon  the  many  promises  in  the  Word 
of  help  to  sufferers  for  righteousness.  Whatever  our 
afflictions,  there  is  ease  in  telling  God  of  them,  and  if- 

VOL.    III.  18 


274  THE  PSALMS 


our  desires  for  His  help  are  "  according  to  Thy  word," 
they  will  be  as  willing  to  accept  help  to  bear  as  help 
which  removes  the  sorrow,  and  thus  will  not  be  offered 
unanswered.  That  cry  for  reviving  is  best  understood 
as  being  "  the  free-will  offerings  "  which  the  psalmist 
prays  may  be  accepted.  Happy  in  their  afflictions  are 
they  whose  chief  desire  even  then  is  to  learn  more  of 
God's  statutes !  They  will  find  that  their  sorrows  are 
their  best  teachers.  If  we  wish  most  to  make  advances 
in  His  school,  we  shall  not  complain  of  the  guides  to 
whom  He  commits  us.  Continual  alarms  and  dangers 
tend  to  foster  disregard  of  Duty,  as  truly  as  does  the 
opposite  state  of  unbroken  security.  A  man  absorbed  in 
keeping  himself  alive  is  apt  to  think  he  has  no  attention 
to  spare  for  God's  law  (ver.  109),  and  one  ringed  about 
by  traps  is  apt  to  take  a  circuit  to  avoid  them,  even  at 
the  cost  of  divergence  from  the  path  marked  out  by 
God  (ver.  1 10).  But,  even  in  such  circumstances,  the 
psalmist  did  what  all  good  men  have  to  do,  deliberately 
chose  his  portion,  and  found  God's  law  better  than  any 
outward  good,  as  being  able  to  diffuse  deep,  sacred,  and 
perpetual  joy  through  all  his  inner  nature.  The  heart 
thus  filled  with  serene  gladness  is  thereby  drawn  to 
perform  God's  statutes  with  lifelong  persistency,  and 
the  heart  thus  inclined  to  obedience  has  tapped  the 
sources  of  equally  enduring  joy. 

§D 

113  The  double-minded  I  hate, 
But  Thy  law  I  love. 

114  My  shelter  and  my  shield  art  Thou, 
For  Thy  word  have  I  waited. 

115  Depart  from  me,  ye  evil-doers. 

That  I  may  keep  the  commandments  of  my  God. 

1 16  Uphold  me  according  to  Thy  promise  that  I  may  live, 
And  let  me  not  be  ashamed  of  my  hope. 


cxix.]  THE   PSALMS  275 

117  Hold  me  up  and  I  shall  be  saved, 

And  have  regard  to  Thy  statutes  continually. 

118  Thou  makest  light  of  all  those  who  stray  from  Thy  statutes, 
For  their  deceit  is  a  lie. 

119  [Like]  dross  Thou  hast  cast  aside  all  the  wicked  of  the  earth, 
Therefore  I  love  Thy  testimonies, 

120  My  flesh  creeps  for  fear  of  Thee, 
And  of  Thj'  judgments  1  am  afraid. 

This  section  is  mainly  the  expression  of  firm  resolve 
to  cleave  to  the  Law.  Continuity  may  be  traced  in  it, 
since  vv.  113-115  breathe  love  and  determination,  which 
pass  in  vv.  116,  117,  into  prayer,  in  view  of  the  psalmist's 
weakness  and  the  strength  of  temptation,  while  in 
vv.  118-120  the  fate  of  the  despisers  of  the  Law  inten- 
sifies the  psalmist's  clinging  grasp  of  awe-struck  love. 
Hatred  of  "double-minded  "  who  waver  between  God 
and  idols,  and  are  weak  accordingly,  rests  upon,  and  in 
its  turn  increases,  whole-hearted  adherence  to  the  Law. 

It  is  a  tepid  devotion  to  it  which  does  not  strongly 
recoil  from  lives  that  water  down  its  precepts  and  try 
to  walk  on  both  sides  of  the  way  at  once.  Whoever 
has  taken  God  for  his  defence  can  afford  to  bide  God's 
time  for  fulfilment  of  His  promises  (ver.  1 14).  And  the 
natural  results  of  such  love  to,  and  waiting  for,  His  word 
are  resolved  separation  from  the  society  of  those  whose 
lives  are  moulded  on  opposite  principles,  and  the  order- 
ing of  external  relations  in  accordance  with  the  supreme 
purpose  of  keeping  the  commandments  of  Him  whom 
love  and  waiting  claim  as  "  my  God"  (ver.  115).  But 
resolves  melt  in  the  fire  of  temptation,  and  the  psalmist 
knows  life  and  himself  too  well  to  trust  himself.  So 
he  betakes  himself  to  prayer  for  God's  upholding,  with- 
out which  he  cannot  live,  A  hope  built  on  God's  pro- 
mise has  a  claim  on  Him,  and  its  being  put  to  shame  in 
disappointment  would  be  dishonour  to  God  (ver,  ii6). 


276  THE  PSALMS 

The  psalmist  knows  that  his  wavering  will  can  only  be 
fixed  by  God,  and  that  experience  of  His  sustaining 
hand  will  make  a  stronger  bond  between  God  and  him 
than  anything  besides.  The  consciousness  of  salvation 
must  precede  steadfast  regard  to  the  precepts  of  the 
God  who  saves  (ver.  1 1 7).  To  stray  from  the  Law  is 
ruin,  as  is  described  in  vv.  118,  119.  They  who  wander 
are  despised  or  made  light  of,  "for  their  deceit  is  a  lie  " 
— i.e.,  the  hopes  and  plans  with  which  they  deceive  them- 
selves are  false.  It  is  a  gnarled  way  of  sa3'ing  that  all 
godless  life  is  a  blunder  as  well  as  a  sin,  and  is  fed  with 
unrealisable  promises.  Dross  is  flung  away  when  the 
metal  is  extracted.  Slag  from  a  furnace  is  hopelessly 
useless,  and  this  psalmist  thinks  that  the  wicked  of  the 
earth  are  "  thrown  as  rubbish  to  the  void."  He  is  not 
contemplating  a  future  life,  but  God's  judgments  as 
manifested  here  in  providence,  and  his  faith  is  assured 
that,  even  here,  that  process  is  visible.  Therefore, 
gazing  upon  the  fate  of  evil-doers,  his  flesh  creeps  and 
every  particular  hair  stands  on  end  (as  the  word  means). 
His  dread  is  full  of  love,  and  love  is  full  of  dread.  Pro- 
foundly are  the  two  emotions  yoked  together  in  vv. 
iig  b  and  120  b,  "  I  love  Thy  testimonies  ...  of  Thy 
judgments  I  am  afraid.^' 

§y 

121  I  have  done  judgment  and  righteousness, 
Thou  wilt  not  leave  me  to  my  oppressors. 

122  Be  surety  for  Thy  servant  for  good, 
Let  not  the  proud  oppress  me. 

123  My  eyes  pine  for  Thy  salvation 
And  for  Thy  righteous  promise. 

124  Deal  with  Thy  servant   according   to   Thy  lovingkindness, 
And  teach  me  Thy  statutes. 

125  Tliy  servant  am  I;  give  me  understanding, 
That  I  may  know  Thy  testimonies. 


cxix.]  THE  PSALMS  277 

126  It  is  time  for  Jehovah  to  work, 
They  have  made  void  Thy  law. 

127  Therefore  I  love  Thy  commandments 
More  than  gold  and  more  than  fine  gold. 

128  Therefore  I  esteem  all  Thy  precepts  to  be  right, 
Every  false  way  do  I  hate. 

The  thought  of  evil-doers  tinges  most  of  this  section. 
It  opens  with  a  triplet  of  verses,  occasioned  by  their 
oppressions  of  the  psalmist,  and  closes  with  a  triplet 
occasioned  by  their  breaches  of  the  Law.  In  the  former, 
he  is  conscious  that  he  has  followed  the  "judgment" 
or  law  of  God,  and  hence  hopes  that  he  will  not  be 
abandoned  to  his  foes.  The  consciousness  and  the 
hope  equally  need  limitation,  to  correspond  with  true 
estimates  of  ourselves  and  with  facts  ;  for  there  is  no 
absolute  fulfilment  of  the  Law,  and  good  men  are  often 
left  to  be  footballs  for  bad  ones.  But  in  its  depths  the 
confidence  is  true.  Precisely  because  he  has  it,  the 
psalmist  prays  that  it  may  be  vindicated  by  facts. 
"  Be  surety  for  Thy  servant " — a  profound  image, 
drawn  from  legal  procedure,  in  which  one  man  becomes 
security  for  another  and  makes  good  his  deficiencies. 
Thus  God  will  stand  between  the  hunted  man  and  his 
foes,  undertaking  for  him.  "  Thou  shalt  answer,  Lord, 
for  me."  How  much  the  fulfilment  in  Christ  has  ex- 
ceeded the  desire  of  the  psalmist !  "  The  oppressors' 
wrong  "  had  lasted  long,  and  the  singer's  weary  eyes 
had  been  strained  in  looking  for  the  help  which  seemed 
to  tarry  (compare  ver.  82),  and  that  fainting  gaze 
humbly  appeals  to  God.  Will  He  not  end  the  wistful 
watching  speedily?  Vv.  124,  125,  are  a  pair,  the 
psalmist's  relation  of  servant  being  adduced  in  both  as 
the  ground  of  his  prayer  for  teaching.  But  they  differ, 
in  that  the  former  verse  lays  stress  on  the  consonance 
of  such  instruction  with  God's  lovingkindness,  and  the 


278  THE  PSALMS 

latter,  on  its  congruity  with  the  psahnist's  position  and 
character  as  His  servant.  God's  best  gift  is  the  know- 
ledge of  His  will,  which  He  surely  will  not  withhold 
from  spirits  willing  to  serve,  if  they  only  knew  how. 
Vv.  126-128  are  closely  linked.  The  psalmist's  personal 
wrongs  melt  into  the  wider  thought  of  wickedness 
which  does  its  little  best  to  make  void  that  sovereign, 
steadfast  law.  Delitzsch  would  render  "  It  is  time  to 
work  for  Jehovah  "  ;  and  the  meaning  thus  obtained  is  a 
worthy  one.  But  that  given  above  is  more  in  accord- 
ance with  the  context.  It  is  bold — and  would  be 
audacious  if  a  prayer  did  not  underlie  the  statement — 
to  undertake  to  determine  when  evil  has  reached  such 
height  as  to  demand  God's  punitive  action.  But, 
however  slow  we  should  be  to  prescribe  to  Him  the 
when  or  the  how  of  His  intervention,  we  may  learn 
from  the  psalmist's  emphatic  "  Therefores,"  which  stand 
co-ordinately  at  the  beginnings  of  vv.  127,  128,  that  the 
more  men  make  void  the  Law,  the  more  should  God's 
servants  prize  it,  and  the  more  should  they  bind  its 
precepts  on  their  moral  judgment,  and  heartily  loathe  all 
paths  which,  specious  as  they  may  be,  are  "paths  of  false- 
hood," though  all  the  world  may  avow  that  they  are  true. 

§D 

129  Wonderful  are  Thy  testimonies, 
Therefore  my  soul  keeps  them. 

130  The  opening  of  Thy  words  gives  light, 
It  gives  understanding  to  the  simple. 

131  My  mouth  did  I  open  wide,  and  panted. 
For  I  longed  for  Thy  commandments. 

132  Turn  to  me  and  be  gracious  to  me. 

According  to  the  right  of  those  who  love  Tiiy  name. 

133  Establish  my  steps  by  Thy  promise, 
An  J  let  not  iniquity  lord  it  over  me. 

134  Redeem  me  from  the  oppression  of  men, 
That  I  may  observe  Thy   precepts. 


cxix.]  THE  PSALMS  279 

135  Cause  Thy  face  to  shine  upon  Thy  servant, 
And  teach  mc  Thy  statutes. 

136  My  eyes  run  down   [in]  streamlets  of  water, 
Because  men  observe  not  Thy  law. 

Devout  souls  do  not  take  offence  at  the  depths  and 
difficulties  of  God's  word,  but  arc  thereby  drawn  to 
intenser  contemplation  of  them.  We  weary  of  the 
Trivial  and  Obvious.  That  which  tasks  and  outstrips 
our  powers  attracts.  But  the  obscurity  must  not  be 
arbitrary,  but  inherent,  a  clear  obscure,  like  the  depths 
of  a  pure  sea.  These  wonderful  testimonies  give  light, 
notwithstanding,  or  rather  because  of,  their  wonderful- 
ness,  and  it  is  the  simple  heart,  not  the  sharpened 
intellect,  that  penetrates  furthest  into  them  and  finds 
light  most  surely  (ver.  130).  Therefore  the  psalmist 
longs  for  God's  commandments,  like  a  wild  creature 
panting  open-mouthed  for  water.  He  puts  to  shame 
our  indifference.  If  his  longing  was  not  excessive, 
how  defective  is  ours!  Ver.  132,  like  ver.  122,  has  no 
distinct  allusion  to  the  Law,  though  the  word  rendered 
in  it  "  right "  is  that  used  in  the  psalm  for  the  Law 
considered  as  "judgments."  The  pra3^er  is  a  bold  one, 
pleading  what  is  justly  due  to  the  lovers  of  God's 
name.  Kay  appropriately  quotes  "  God  is  not  unright- 
eous to  forget  your  work  and  labour  of  love^  which  ye 
have  showed  towards  His  name  "  (Heb.  vi.  10).  One 
would  have  expected  "  Law  "  instead  of  "  name  "  in  the 
last  word  of  the  verse,  and  possibly  the  conception  of 
Law  may  be,  as  it  were,  latent  in  "  name,"  for  the  latter 
does  carry  in  it  imperative  commandments  and  plain 
revelations  of  duty.  God's  Name  holds  the  Law  in 
germ.  The  Law  is  but  the  expansion  of  the  meaning 
of  the  Name.  "  Promise"  in  ver.  133  (lit.  saying)  must 
be  taken  in  a  widened  sense,  as  including  all   God's 


28o  THE  PSALMS 


revealed  will.  The  only  escape  from  the  tyranny  of 
sin  is  to  have  our  steps  established  by  God's  word,  and 
His  help  is  needed  for  such  establishment.  Rebellion 
against  sin's  dominion  is  already  victory  over  it,  if  the 
rebel  summons  God's  heavenly  reinforcements  to  his 
help.  It  is  a  high  attainment  to  desire  deliverance  from 
men,  chiefly  in  order  to  observe,  unhindered,  God's 
commandments  (ver.  134).  And  it  is  as  high  a 
desire  to  seek  the  light  of  God's  face  mainly  as  the 
means  of  seeing  His  will  more  clearly.  The  psalmist 
did  not  merely  wish  for  outward  prosperity  or  inward 
cheer  and  comfort,  but  that  these  might  contribute  to 
fulfilling  his  deepest  wish  of  learning  better  what  God 
would  have  him  to  do  (ver.  135).  The  moods  of  in- 
dignation (ver.  53)  and  of  hatred  (vv.  104,  113,  128) 
have  given  place  to  softer  emotions,  as  they  ever 
should  (ver.  136).  Tears  and  dewy  pity  should  mingle 
with  righteous  anger,  as  when  Jesus  "  looked  round 
about  on  them  with  anger,  being  with  the  anger  grieved 
at  the  hardening  of  their  heart "  (Mark  iii.  5). 

§  V 

137  Righteous  art  Thou,  Jehovah, 
And  upright  are  Thy  judgments. 

138  In  righteousness  Thou  hast   commanded  Thy  testimonies, 
And  in  exceeding  faithfuhiess. 

139  My  zeal  has  consumed  me, 

For  my  adversaries  have  forgotten  Thy  words. 

140  Well  tried  by  fire  is  Thy  promise, 
And  Thy  servant  loves  it. 

141  Small  and  despised  am  I, 

Thy  precepts  have  I  not  forgotten. 

142  Thy  righteousness  is  righteousness  for  ever, 
And  Thy  law  is  truth. 

143  Distress  and  anguish  have  found  me, 
Thy  commandments  are  my  delight. 

144  Righteousness  for  ever  are  Thy  testimonies. 
Give  me  understanding  that  I  may  live. 


cxix.]  THE  PSALMS  281 


The  first  word  suggested  to  the  psalmist  under  this 
letter  is  Righteousness.  That  august  conception  was 
grasped  by  devout  Israelites  with  a  tenacity,  and 
assumed  a  prominence  in  their  thoughts,  unparalleled 
elsewhere.  It  is  no  mere  yielding  to  the  requirements 
of  the  acrostic  scheme  which  sets  that  great  word  in 
four  of  the  eight  verses  of  this  section  (137,  138, 
142,  144).  Two  thoughts  are  common  to  them  all,  that 
Righteousness  has  its  seat  in  the  bosom  of  God,  and 
that  the  Law  is  a  true  transcript  of  that  Divine  right- 
eousness. These  things  being  so,  it  follows  that  the 
Law  is  given  to  men  in  accordance  with  the  Divine 
"  faithfulness  " — i.e.,  in  remembrance  and  discharge  of 
the  obligations  which  God  has  undertaken  towards 
them.  Nor  less  certainly  does  it  follow  that  that  Law, 
which  is  the  "  eradiation  "  of  God's  righteousness,  is 
eternal  as  its  fontal  source  (vv,  142,  144).  The  beam 
must  last  as  long  as  the  sun.  No  doubt,  there  are 
transient  elements  in  the  Law  which  the  psalmist 
loved,  but  its  essence  is  everlasting,  because  its  origin 
is  God's  everlasting  Righteousness.  So  absorbed  is  he 
in  adoring  contemplation  of  it,  that  he  even  forgets  to 
pray  for  help  to  keep  it,  and  not  till  ver.  144  does  he 
ask  for  understanding  that  he  may  live.  True  life  is 
in  the  knowledge  of  the  Law  by  which  God  is  known, 
as  Jesus  has  taught  us  that  to  know  the  only  true  God 
is  life  eternal.  A  faint  gleam  of  immortal  hope  perhaps 
shines  in  that  prayer,  for  if  the  "  testimonies  "  are  for 
ever,  and  the  knowledge  of  them  is  life,  it  cannot  be 
that  they  shall  outlast  the  soul  that  knows  and  lives 
by  them.  One  more  characteristic  of  God's  righteous 
testimonies  is  celebrated  in  ver.  140 — namely,  that  they 
have  stood  sharp  tests,  and,  like  metal  in  the  furnace, 
have  not  been  dissolved  but  brightened  by  the  heat. 


282  THE  PSALMS 


They  have  been  tested,  when  the  psalmist  was 
afflicted  and  found  them  to  hold  true.  The  same  fire 
tried  him  and  them,  and  he  does  not  glorify  his  own 
endurance,  but  the  promise  which  enabled  him  to 
stand  firm.  The  remaining  verses  of  the  section 
describe  the  psalmist's  afflictions  and  clinging  to  the 
Law.  Ver.  139  recurs  to  his  emotions  on  seeing  men's 
neglect  of  it.  "  Zeal  "  here  takes  the  place  of  grief 
(ver.  136)  and  of  indignation  and  hatred.  Friction 
against  widespread  godlessness  generates  a  flame  of 
zeal,  as  it  should  always  do.  "  Small  and  despised  " 
was  Israel  among  the  great  powers  of  the  ancient 
world,  but  he  who  meditates  on  the  Law  is  armed 
against  contempt  and  contented  in  insignificance  (ver. 
141).  "  Distress  and  anguish "  may  surround  him, 
but  hidden  springs  of  "  delight  "  well  up  in  the  heart 
that  cleaves  to  the  Law,  like  outbursts  of  fresh  water 
rising  to  the  surface  of  a  salt  sea  (ver.  144). 

§p 

145  I  have  called  with  my  whole  heart ;  answer  me,  Jehovah  ; 
Thy  statutes  will  I  keep. 

146  I  have  called  unto  Thee,  save  me, 
And  I  will  observe  Thy  testimonies. 

147  I  anticipated  the  morning  twilight  and  cried  aloud. 
For  Thy  word  I  waited. 

148  My  eyes  anticipated  the  night  watches, 
That  I  might  meditate  on  Thy  promise. 

149  Hear  my  voice  according  to  Thy  lovingkindness, 
Jehovah,  according  to  Thy  judgments  revive  me. 

150  They  draw  near  who  follow  after  mischief. 
From  Thy  law  they  are  far  off. 

151  Near  art  Thou,  Jehovah, 

And  all  Thy  commandments  are  truth. 

152  Long  ago  have  I  known  from  Thy  testimonies, 
That  Thou  hast  founded  them  for  ever. 

The  first  two  verses  are  a  pair,  in  which  former  prayers 


cxix.]  THE  PSALMS  283 

for  deliverance  and  vows  of  obedience  are  recalled  and 
repeated.  The  tone  of  supplication  prevails  through 
the  section.  The  cries  now  presented  are  no  new 
things.  The  psalmist's  habit  has  been  prayer,  whole- 
hearted, continued,  and  accompanied  with  the  resolve 
to  keep  by  obedience  and  to  observe  with  sharpened 
watchfulness  the  utterances  of  God's  will.  Another 
pair  of  verses  follows  (vv.  147,  148),  which  recall  the 
singer's  wakeful  devotion.  His  voice  rose  to  God  ere 
the  dim  morning  broke,  and  his  heart  kept  itself  in 
submissive  expectance.  His  eyes  saw  God's  promises 
shining  in  the  nightly  darkness,  and  making  meditation 
better  than  sleep.  The  petitions  in  ver.  149  may  be 
taken  as  based  upon  the  preceding  pairs.  The 
psalmist's  patient  continuance  gives  him  ground  to 
expect  an  answer.  But  the  true  ground  is  God's 
character,  as  witnessed  by  His  deeds  of  loving- 
kindness  and  His  revelation  of  His  "judgments"  in 
the  Law. 

Another  pair  of  verses  follows  (vv.  150,  151),  in  which 
the  hostile  nearness  of  the  psalmist's  foes,  gathering 
round  him  with  malignant  purpose,  is  significantly 
contrasted,  both  with  their  remoteness  in  temper  from 
the  character  enjoined  in  the  Law,  and  with  the  yet 
closer  proximity  of  the  assailed  man's  defender.  He 
who  has  God  near  him,  and  who  realises  that  His 
"  commandments  are  truth,"  can  look  untrembling  on 
mustering  masses  of  enemies.  This  singer  had  learned 
that  before  danger  threatened.  The  last  verse  of  the 
section  breathes  the  same  tone  of  long-continued  and 
habitual  acquaintance  with  God  and  His  Law  as  the 
earlier  pairs  of  verses  do.  The  convictions  of  a  life- 
time were  too  deeply  rooted  to  be  disturbed  by  such 
a  passing  storm.     There  is,  as  it  were,  a  calm  smile  of 


284  THE  PSALMS 


triumphant  certitude  in  that  "  Long  ago."  Experience 
teaches  that  the  foundation,  laid  for  trust  as  well  as 
for  conduct  in  the  Law,  is  too  stable  to  be  moved,  and 
that  we  need  not  fear  to  build  our  all  on  it.  Let  us 
build  rock  on  that  rock,  and  answer  God's  everlasting 
testimonies  with  our  unwavering  reliance  and  sub- 
mission. 

§1 

153  See  my  affliction,  and  deliver  me, 
For  Thy  law  do  I  not  forget. 

154  Plead  my  plea  and  redeem  me, 
Revive  me  according  to  Thy  promise. 

155  Far  from  the  wicked  is  salvation. 
For  they  seek  not  Thy  statutes. 

156  Thy  compassions  are  many,  Jehovah, 
According  to  Thy  judgments  revive  me. 

157  Many  are  my  pursuers  and  my  adversaries, 
From  Thy  testimonies  I  have  not  declined. 

158  I  beheld  the  faithless  and  loathed  [them] 
Because  they  observed  not  Thy  promise. 

159  See  how  I  love  Thy  precepts, 

Jehovah,  according  to  Thy  lovingkindness  revive  me. 

160  The  sum  of  Thy  word  is  truth, 

And  every  one  of  Thy  righteous  judgments  endures  for  ever. 

The  prayer  "  revive  me "  occurs  thrice  in  this 
section.  It  is  not  a  petition  for  spiritual  quickening 
so  much  as  for  removal  of  calamities,  which  restrained 
free,  joyous  life.  Its  repetition  accords  with  other 
characteristics  of  this  section,  which  is  markedly  a  cry 
from  a  burdened  heart.  The  psalmist  is  in  affliction ; 
he  is,  as  it  were,  the  defendant  in  a  suit,  a  captive 
needing  a  strong  avenger  (ver.  154),  compassed  about 
by  a  swarm  of  enemies  (ver.  157),  forced  to  endure  the 
sight  of  the  faithless  and  to  recoil  from  them  (ver.  158). 
His  thoughts  vibrate  between  his  needs  and  God's 
compassions,  between  his  own  cleaving  to  the  Law 
and  its  grand  comprehensiveness  and  perpetuity,     llis 


cxix.]  THE  PSALMS  285 

prayer  now  is  not  for  fuller  knowledge  of  the  Law,  but 
for  rescue  from  his  troubles.  It  is  worth  while  to 
follow  his  swift  turns  of  thought,  which,  in  their 
windings,  are  shaped  by  the  double  sense  of  need  and 
of  Divine  fulness.  First  come  two  plaintive  cries  for 
rescue,  based  in  one  case  on  his  adherence  to  the  Law, 
and  in  the  other  on  God's  promise.  Then  his  eye  turns 
on  those  who  do  not,  like  him,  seek  God's  statutes,  and 
these  he  pronounces,  with  solemn  depth  of  insight,  to 
be  far  from  the  salvation  which  he  feels  is  his,  because 
they  have  no  desire  to  know  God's  will.  That  is  a 
pregnant  word.  Swiftly  he  turns  from  these  unhappy 
ones  to  gaze  on  the  multitude  of  God's  compassions, 
which  hearten  him  to  repeat  his  prayer  for  revival, 
according  to  God's  "judgments  " — i.e.^  His  decisions 
contained  in  the  Law.  But,  again,  his  critical  position 
among  enemies  forces  itself  into  remembrance,  and  he 
can  only  plead  that,  in  spite  of  them,  he  has  held  fast 
by  the  Law,  and,  when  compelled  to  see  apostates,  has 
felt  no  temptation  to  join  them,  but  a  wholesome 
loathing  of  all  departure  from  God's  word.  That 
loathing  was  the  other  side  of  his  love.  The  more 
closely  we  cleave  to  God's  precepts,  the  more  shall  we 
recoil  from  modes  of  thought  and  life  which  flout  them. 
And  then  the  psalmist  looks  wistfully  up  once  more, 
and  asks  that  his  love  may  receive  what  God's  loving- 
kindness  emboldens  it  to  look  for  as  its  result — namely, 
the  reviving,  which  he  thus  once  more  craves.  That 
love  for  the  Law  has  led  him  into  the  depths  of  under- 
standing God's  Word,  and  so  his  lowly  petitions  swell 
into  the  declaration,  which  he  has  verified  in  life,  that 
its  sum-total  is  truth,  and  a  perpetual  possession  for 
loving  hearts,  however  ringed  round  by  enemies  and 
"weighed  upon  by  sore  distress." 


286  THE  PSALMS 


§  ^ 
l6i  Princes  have  persecuted  me  without  a  cause, 
But  at  Thy  words  my  heart  stands  in  awe. 

162  I  rejoice  over  Thy  promise, 
As  one  that  finds  great  booty. 

163  Lying  I  hate  and  abhor. 
Thy  law  do  I  love. 

164  Seven  times  a  day  I  praise  Thee, 
Because  of  Thy  righteous  judgments. 

165  Great  peace  have  they  that  love  Thy  law, 
And  they  have  no  stumbling-block. 

166  1  have  hoped  for  Thy  salvation,  Jehovah, 
And  Thy  commandments  have  I  done. 

167  My  soul  has  observed  Thy  testimonies. 
And  I  love  them  exceedingly. 

168  I  have  observed  Thy  precepts  and  Thy  testimonies, 
For  all  my  ways  are  before  Thee. 

The  tone  of  this  section  is  in  striking  contrast  with 
that  of  the  preceding.  Here,  with  the  exception  of 
the  first  clause  of  the  first  verse,  all  is  sunny,  and  the 
thunder-clouds  are  hull  down  on  the  horizon.  Joy, 
peace,  and  hope  breathe  through  the  song.  Beautifully 
are  reverential  awe  and  exuberant  gladness  blended  as 
contemporaneous  results  of  listening  to  God's  word. 
There  is  rapture  in  that  awe  ;  there  is  awe  in  that 
bounding  gladness.  To  possess  that  Law  is  better 
than  to  win  rich  booty.  The  spoils  of  the  conflict, 
which  we  wage  with  our  own  negligence  or  disobedi- 
ence, are  our  best  wealth.  The  familiar  connection 
between  love  of  the  Law  and  hatred  of  lives  which 
depart  from  it,  and  are  therefore  lies  and  built  on 
lies,  re-appears,  yet  not  as  the  ground  of  prayer  for 
help,  but  as  part  of  the  blessed  treasures  which  the 
psalmist  is  recounting.  His  life  is  accompanied  by 
music  of  perpetual  praise.  Seven  times  a  day — />., 
unceasingly — his  glad  heart  bi-eaks  into  song,  and 
"  the  o'ercome  of  his  song "    is  ever  God's  righteous 


cxix.]  THE  PSALMS  287 

judgments.  His  own  experience  gives  assurance  of 
the  universal  truth  that  the  love  of  God's  law  secures 
peace,  inasmuch  as  such  love  brings  the  heart  into 
contact  with  absolute  good,  inasmuch  as  submission  to 
God's  will  is  always  peace,  inasmuch  as  the  fountain  of 
unrest  is  dried  up,  inasmuch  as  all  outward  things  are 
allies  of  such  a  heart  and  serve  the  soul  that  serves 
God.  Such  love  saves  from  falling  over  stumbling- 
blocks,  and  enables  a  man  "  to  walk  firmly  and  safely 
on  the  clear  path  of  duty."  Like  the  dying  Jacob, 
such  a  man  waits  for  God's  salvation,  patiently  expect- 
ing that  each  day  will  bring  its  own  form  of  help  and 
deliverance,  and  his  waiting  is  no  idle  anticipation,  but 
full  of  strenuous  obedience  (ver.  166),  and  of  watchful 
observance,  such  as  the  eyes  of  a  servant  direct  to  his 
master  (ver.  167  a).  Love  makes  such  a  man  keen  to 
note  the  slightest  indications  of  God's  will,  and  eager 
to  obey  them  all  (vv.  1676.,  168  a).  All  this  joyous 
profession  of  the  psalmist's  happy  experience  he  spreads 
humbly  before  God,  appealing  to  Him  whether  it  is 
true.  He  is  not  flaunting  his  self-righteousness  in 
God's  face,  but  gladly  recounting  to  God's  honour  all 
the  "  spoil  "  that  he  has  found,  as  he  penetrated  into 
the  Law  and  it  penetrated  into  his  inmost  being. 

§  n 

169  Let  my  cry  come  near  before  Thy  face,  Jehovah, 
According  to  Thy  word  give  mc  understanding. 

170  Let  my  supphcation  come  before  Thy  face. 
According  to  Thy  promise  deliver  me. 

171  My  lips  shall  well  forth  praise, 
For  Thou  teachest  mc  Thy  statutes. 

172  My  tongue  shall  sing  of  Thy  promise, 

For  all  Thy  commandments  are  righteousness. 

173  Let  Thy  hand  be  [stretched  out]  to  help  me, 
For  Thy  precepts  have  I  chosen. 


288  THE  PSALMS 


174  I  long  for  Thy  salvation,  Jehovah, 
And  Thy  law  is  my  delight. 

175  Let  my  soul  live  and  it  shall  praise  Thee, 
And  let  Thy  judgments  help  me. 

176  I  have  strayed  like  a  lost  sheep,  seek  Thy  servant, 
For  Thy  commandments  do  I  not  forget. 

The  threads  that  have  run  through  the  psalm  are 
knotted  firmly  together  in  this  closing  section,  which 
falls  into  four  pairs  of  verses.  In  the  first,  the  manifold 
preceding  petitions  are  concentrated  into  two  for  under- 
standing and  deliverance,  the  twin  needs  of  man,  of 
which  the  one  covers  the  whole  ground  of  inward 
illumination,  and  the  other  comprises  all  good  for  out- 
ward life,  while  both  are  in  accordance  with  the  large 
confidence  warranted  by  God's  faithful  words.  Petition 
passes  into  praise.  The  psalmist  instinctively  obeys  the 
command,  "  By  prayer  and  supplication  with  thanks- 
giving let  your  requests  be  made  known."  His  lips 
give  forth  not  only  shrill  cries  of  need,  but  well  up 
songs  of  thanks ;  and,  while  a  thousand  mercies  impel 
the  sparkling  flood  of  praise,  the  chief  of  these  is  God's 
teaching  him  His  righteous  statutes  (vv.  171,  172). 
In  the  next  pair  of  verses,  the  emphasis  lies,  not  on 
the  prayer  for  help,  so  much  as  on  its  grounds  in 
the  psalmist's  deliberate  choice  of  God's  precepts,  his 
patient  yearning  for  God's  salvation,  and  his  delight  in 
the  Law,  all  of  which  characteristics  have  been  over 
and  over  again  professed  in  the  psalm.  Here,  once 
more,  they  are  massed  together,  not  in  self-righteous- 
ness, but  as  making  it  incredible  that,  God  being  the 
faithful  and  merciful  God  which  He  is.  His  hand 
should  hang  idle  when  His  servant  cries  for  help 
(vv.  173,  174).  The  final  pair  of  verses  sets  forth  the 
relations  of  the  devout  soul  with  God  in  their  widest 
and  most  permanent  forms.     The  true  life  of  the  soul 


cxix.]  THE  PSALMS  289 

must  come  from  Him,  the  Fountain  of  Life.  A  soul 
thus  made  to  Hve  by  communion  with,  and  derivation 
of  Hfe  from,  God  lives  to  praise,  and  all  its  motions 
are  worship.  To  it  the  Law  is  no  menace  nor  un- 
welcome restriction  but  a  helper.  Life  drawn  from 
God,  turned  to  God  in  continual  praise,  and  invigorated 
by  unfailing  helps  ministered  through  His  uttered  will, 
is  the  only  life  worth  living.  It  is  granted  to  all  who 
ask  for  it.  But  a  lower,  sadder  note  must  ever  mingle 
in  our  prayers.  Aspiration  and  trust  must  be  inter- 
twined with  consciousness  of  weakness  and  distrust 
of  one's  self  Only  those  who  are  ignorant  of  the 
steps  of  the  soul's  pilgrimage  to  God  can  wonder  that 
the  psalmist's  last  thoughts  about  himself  blend  con- 
fession of  wandering  like  a  straying  sheep,  and  pro- 
fession of  not  forgetting  God's  commandments.  Both 
phases  of  consciousness  co-exist  in  the  true  servant 
of  God,  as,  alas  !  both  have  grounds  in  his  experience. 
But  our  sense  of  having  wandered  should  ever  be 
accompanied  with  the  tender  thought  that  the  lost 
sheep  is  a  sheep,  beloved  and  sought  for  by  the  great 
Shepherd,  in  whose  search,  not  in  our  own  docile 
following  of  His  footsteps,  lies  our  firmest  hope.  The 
psalmist  prayed  "Seek  Thy  servant,"  for  he  knew 
how  continually  he  would  be  tempted  to  stray.  But 
we  know  better  than  he  did  how  wonderfully  the 
answer  has  surpassed  his  petition.  "  The  Son  of  Man 
is  come  to  seek  and  to  save  that  which  was  lost." 


VOL.  in.  10 


PSALMS   CXX.— CXXXIV. 

THESE  fifteen  psalms  form  a  short  psalter  within  the 
Psalter,  each  having  the  same  title  (with  a  slight 
grammatical  variation  in  Psalm  cxxi.).  Its  meaning  is 
very  doubtful.  Many  of  the  older  authorities  under- 
stand it  to  signify  "  a  song  of  steps,"  and  explain  it  by 
a  very  uncertain  tradition  that  these  psalms  were  sung 
on  fifteen  steps  leading  from  the  court  of  the  women  to 
that  of  the  men,  each  on  one  step.  The  R.V.'s  render- 
ing, "  degrees,"  uses  that  word  in  this  sense  (like  the 
Latin  gradus).  But  though  undoubtedly  the  word 
means  steps,  there  is  no  sufficient  support  for  the 
tradition  in  question ;  and,  as  Delitzsch  well  observes, 
if  this  were  the  meaning  of  the  title,  "  it  would  be  much 
more  external  than  any  of  the  other  inscriptions  to  the 
Psalms." 

Another  explanation  fixes  on  the  literal  meaning  of 
the  word — i.e.,  "  goings  up  " — and  points  to  its  use  in  the 
singular  for  the  Return  from  Babylon  (Ezra  vii.  9),  as 
supporting  the  view  that  these  were  psalms  sung  by 
the  returning  exiles.  There  is  much  in  the  group  of 
songs  to  favour  this  view ;  but  against  it  is  the  fact 
that  Psalms  cxxii.  and  cxxxiv.  imply  the  existence  of 
the  Temple,  and  the  fully  organised  ceremonial  worship. 

A  third  solution  is  that  the  name  refers  to  the 
structure  of  these  psalms,  which  have  a  "  step-like, 
progressive   rhythm."     This  is   Gesenius'  explanation, 

290 


cxx.-cxxxiv.J  THE   PSALMS  291 

adopted  by  Delitzsch.  But  the  peculiar  structure  in 
question,  though  very  obvious  in  several  of  these 
psalms,  is  scarcely  perceptible  in  others,  and  is  entirely 
absent  from  Psalm  cxxxii. 

The  remaining  explanation  of  the  title  is  the  most 
probable — that  the  "  goings  up "  were  those  of  the 
worshippers  travelling  to  Jerusalem  for  the  feasts. 
This  little  collection  is,  then,  "  The  Song  Book  of  the 
Pilgrims,"  a  designation  to  which  its  contents  well 
correspond. 


PSALM    CXX. 

1  To  Jehovah  in  mj-  straits  I  cried, 
And  He  answered  me. 

2  Jehovah,  deliver  my  soul  from  the  lying  lip, 
From  the  deceitful  tongue. 

3  What  shall  He  give  to  thee,  and  what  more 

shall  He  give  thee. 
Deceitful  tongue  ? 

4  Arrows  of  the  Mighty,  sharpened  ones, 
With  coals  of  broom. 

5  Woe  is  me  that  I  sojourn  in  Meshech, 
[That]  I  dwell  beside  the  tents  of  Kedar! 

6  Long  has  my  soul  had  her  dwelling 
With  him  who  hates  peace. 

7  I  am — peace ;  but  when  I  speak, 

They  are  for  war. 

THE  collection  of  pilgrim  songs  is  appropriately 
introduced  by  one  expressive  of  the  unrest  arising 
from  compulsory  association  with  uncongenial  and 
hostile  neighbours.  The  psalmist  laments  that  his 
sensitive  "  soul "  has  been  so  long  obliged  to  be  a 
"  sojourner  "  where  he  has  heard  nothing  but  lying  and 
strife.  Weary  of  these,  his  soul  stretches  her  wings 
towards  a  land  of  rest.  His  feeling  ill  at  ease  amidst 
present  surroundings  stings  him  to  take  the  pilgrim's 
staff.     "  In  "  this  singer's  "  heart  are  the  ways." 

The  simplicity  of  this  little  song  scarcely  admits  of 
separation  into  parts ;   but  one  may  note  that  an  intro- 

292 


cxx.]  THE  PSALMS  293 

ductory  verse  is  followed  by  two  groups  of  three  verses 
each, — the  former  of  which  is  prayer  for  deliverance 
from  the  "  deceitful  tongue,"  and  prediction  that 
retribution  will  fall  on  it  (vv.  2-4) ;  while  the  latter 
bemoans  the  psalmist's  uncongenial  abode  among 
enemies  (vv.  5-7). 

The  verbs  in  ver.  i  are  most  naturally  referred  to 
former  experiences  of  the  power  of  prayer,  which 
encourage  renewed  petition.  Devout  hearts  argue  that 
what  Jehovah  has  done  once  He  will  do  again.  Since 
His  mercy  endureth  for  ever,  He  will  not  weary  of 
bestowing,  nor  will  former  gifts  exhaust  His  stores. 
Men  say,  "  I  have  given  so  often  that  I  can  give  no 
more  " ;  God  says,  "  I  have  given,  therefore  I  will  give." 
The  psalmist  was  not  in  need  of  defence  against  armed 
foes,  but  against  false  tongues.  But  it  is  not  plain 
whether  these  were  slanderous,  flattering,  or  untrust- 
worthy in  their  promises  of  friendship.  The  allusions 
are  too  general  to  admit  of  certainty.  At  all  events, 
he  was  surrounded  by  a  choking  atmosphere  of  false- 
hood, from  which  he  longed  to  escape  into  purer  air. 
Some  commentators  would  refer  the  allusions  to  the 
circumstances  of  the  exiles  in  Babylon  ;  others  to  the 
slanders  of  the  Samaritans  and  others  who  tried  to 
hinder  the  rebuilding  of  the  Temple  ;  others  think  that 
his  own  hostile  fellow-countrymen  are  the  psalmist's 
foes.  May  we  not  rather  hear  in  his  plaint  the  voice 
of  the  devout  heart,  which  ever  painfully  feels  the 
dissonance  between  its  deep  yearnings  and  the  Babel 
of  vain  words  which  fills  every  place  with  jangling  and 
deceit  ?  To  one  who  holds  converse  with  God,  there 
is  nothing  more  appalling  or  more  abhorrent  than  the 
flood  of  empty  talk  which  drowns  the  world.  If 
there  was  any  specific  foe  in  the  psalmist's  mind,  he 


294  THE  PSALMS 

has  not  described  him  so  as  to  enable  us  to  identify 
him. 

Ver.  3  may  be  taken  in  several  ways,  according  as 
"  deceitful  tongue "  is  taken  as  a  vocative  or  as  the 
nominative  of  the  verb  "  give/'  and  as  that  verb  is 
taken  in  a  good  or  a  bad  sense,  and  as  "  thee  "  is  taken 
to  refer  to  the  tongue  or  to  some  unnamed  person. 
It  is  unnecessary  to  enter  here  on  a  discussion  of  the 
widely  divergent  explanations  given.  They  fall  princi- 
pally into  two  classes.  One  takes  the  words  "  deceitful 
tongue  "  as  vocative,  and  regards  the  question  as  mean- 
ing, "  What  retribution  shall  God  give  to  thee,  O 
deceitful  tongue  ?  "  while  the  other  takes  it  as  asking 
what  the  tongue  shall  give  unto  an  unnamed  person 
designated  by  "  thee."  That  person  is  by  some  con- 
sidered to  be  the  owner  of  the  tongue,  who  is  asked 
what  profit  his  falsehood  will  be  to  him ;  while  others 
suppose  the  "  thee  "  to  mean  Jehovah,  and  the  question 
to  be  like  that  of  Job  (x.  3).  Baethgen  takes  this  view, 
and  paraphrases,  **  What  increase  of  Thy  riches  canst 
Thou  expect  therefrom,  that  Thou  dost  permit  the 
godless  to  oppress  the  righteous  ?  "  Grammatically 
either  class  of  explanation  is  warranted ;  and  the 
reader's  feeling  of  which  is  most  appropriate  must 
decide.  The  present  writer  inclines  to  the  common 
interpretation,  which  takes  ver.  3  as  addressed  to  the 
deceitful  tongue,  in  the  sense,  "  What  punishment  shall 
God  inflict  upon  thee  ?  "  Ver.  4  is  the  answer,  describ- 
ing the  penal  consequences  of  falsehood,  as  resembling  the 
crimes  which  they  avenge.  Such  a  tongue  is  likened  to 
sharp  arrows  and  swords  in  Psalms  Ivii.  4,lxiv.  3,  etc. 
The  punishment  shall  be  like  the  crime.  For  the 
sentiment  compai-e  Psalm  cxl.  9,  lO.  It  is  not  necessary 
to  suppose  that   the    "Mighty"   is  God,   though   such 


cxx.]  THE   PSALMS  295 


a  reference  gives  force  to  the  words.  "The  tongue 
which  shot  piercing  arrows  is  pierced  by  the  sharpened 
arrows  of  an  irresistibly  strong  One  ;  it,  which  set  its 
neighbour  in  a  fever  of  anguish,  must  endure  a  last- 
ing heat  of  broom-coals,  which  consumes  it  surely  " 
(Delitzsch). 

In  the  group  of  vv.  5-7,  the  psalmist  bemoans  his 
compulsory  association  with  hostile  companions,  and 
longs  to  "  flee  away  and  be  at  rest."  Meshech  was  the 
name  of  barbarous  tribes  who,  in  the  times  of  Sargon 
and  Sennacherib,  inhabited  the  highlands  to  the  east 
of  Cilicia,  and  in  later  days  retreated  northwards  to 
the  neighbourhood  of  the  Black  Sea  (Sayce,  "  Higher 
Criticism  and  Monuments,"  p.  130).  Kedar  was  one  of 
the  Bedawin  tribes  of  the  Arabian  desert.  The  long 
distance  between  the  localities  occupied  by  these  two 
tribes  requires  an  allegorical  explanation  of  their  names. 
They  stand  as  types  of  barbarous  and  truculent  foes — 
as  we  might  say,  Samoyeds  and  Patagonians.  The 
psalmist's  plaint  struck  on  Cromwell's  heart,  and  is 
echoed,  with  another  explanation  of  its  meaning  which 
he  had,  no  doubt,  learned  from  some  Puritan  minister : 
"  I  live,  you  know  where,  in  Meshech,  which  they  say 
signifies  prolonging ;  in  Kedar,  which  signifies  black- 
ness ;  yet  the  Lord  forsaketh  me  not  "  (Carlyle,  "  Letters 
and  Speeches,"  i.  127:  London,  1846).  The  peace-loving 
psalmist  describes  himself  as  stunned  by  the  noise  and 
quarrelsomeness  of  those  around  him.  '*  I  am — peace  " 
(compare  Psalm  cix.  4).  But  his  gentlest  word  is  like 
a  spark  on  tinder.  If  he  but  speaks,  they  fly  to  their 
weapons,  and  are  ready  without  provocation  to  answer 
with  blows. 

So  the  psalm  ends  as  with  a  long-drawn  sigh.  It 
inverts  the  usual  order  of  similar  psalms,  in  which  the 


296  THE  PSALMS 


description  of  need  is  wont  to  precede  the  prayer  for 
deliverance.  It  thus  sets  forth  most  pathetically  the 
sense  of  discordance  between  a  man  and  his  environ- 
ment, which  urges  the  soul  that  feels  it  to  seek  a  better 
home.     So  this  is  a  true  pilgrim  psalm. 


PSALM    CXXI. 

1  I  will  lift  mine  ej^es  to  the  hills ; 
Whence  cometh  my  help  ? 

2  My  help  [comes]  from  Jehovah, 
The  Maker  of  heaven  and  earth. 

3  May  He  not  suffer  thy  feet  to  totter, 
May  thy  Keeper  not  slumber  ! 

4  Behold,  thy  Keeper  slumbers  not ; 
Behold,  He  slumbers  not  nor  sleeps 
[Who  is]  the  Keeper  of  Israel. 

5  Jehovah  is  thy  Keeper, 

Jehovah  is  thy  shade  on  thy  right  hand. 

6  By  day  the  sun  shall  not  smite  thee. 
Nor  the  moon  by  night. 

7  Jehovah  shall  keep  thee  from  all  evil, 
He  shall  keep  thy  soul. 

8  Jehovah  shall  keep  thy  going  out  and  thy 

coming  in, 
From  now,  even  for  evermore. 

HOW  many  timid,  anxious  hearts  has  this  sweet 
outpouring  of  quiet  trust  braced  and  lifted  to  its 
own  serene  height  of  conscious  safety  !  This  psalmist 
is  so  absorbed  in  the  thought  of  his  Keeper  that  he 
barely  names  his  dangers.  With  happy  assurance  of 
protection,  he  says  over  and  over  again  the  one  word 
which  is  his  amulet  against  foes  and  fears.  Six  times 
in  these  few  verses  does  the  thought  recur  that  Jehovah 
is  the  Keeper  of  Israel   or  of  the  single    soul.     The 

quietness    that   comes    of    confidence    is    the    singer's 

297 


298  THE  PSALMS 


Strength.  Whether  he  is  an  exile,  looking  across  the 
plains  of  Mesopotamia  towards  the  blue  hills,  which 
the  eye  cannot  discern,  or  a  pilgrim  catching  the  first 
sight  of  the  mountain  on  which  Jehovah  sits  enshrined, 
is  a  question  which  cannot  be  decisively  answered  ;  but 
the  power  and  beauty  of  this  little  breathing  of  peaceful 
trust  are  but  slightly  affected  by  any  h^'pothesis  as  to 
the  singer's  circumstances.  Vv.  i  and  2  stand  apart 
from  the  remainder,  in  so  far  as  in  them  the  psalmist 
speaks  in  the  first  person,  while  in  the  rest  of  the 
psalm  he  is  spoken  to  in  the  second.  But  this  does 
not  necessarily  involve  the  supposition  of  an  antiphonal 
song.  The  two  first  verses  may  have  been  sung  by  a 
single  voice,  and  the  assurances  of  the  following  ones 
by  a  chorus  or  second  singer.  But  it  is  quite  as  likely 
that,  as  in  other  psalms,  the  singer  is  in  vv.  3-8 
himself  the  speaker  of  the  assurances  which  confirm 
his  own  faith. 

His  first  words  describe  the  earnest  look  of  longing. 
He  will  lift  his  eyes  from  all  the  coil  of  troubles  and 
perils  to  the  heights.  Siirsum  corda  expresses  the  true 
ascent  which  these  psalms  enjoin  and  exemplify.  If  the 
supposition  that  the  psalmist  is  an  exile  on  the  monoton- 
ous levels  of  Babylon  is  correct,  one  feels  the  pathetic 
beauty  of  his  wistful  gaze  across  the  dreary  flats 
towards  the  point  where  he  knows  that  the  hills  of  his 
father-land  rise.  To  look  beyond  the  low  levels  where 
we  dwell,  to  the  unseen  heights  where  we  have  our 
home,  is  the  condition  of  all  noble  living  amid  these 
lower  ranges  of  engagement  with  the  Visible  and 
Transient.  "  Whence  comes  my  help  ?  "  is  a  question 
which  may  be  only  put  in  order  to  make  the  assured 
answer  more  emphatic,  but  may  also  be  an  expression 
of   niomentaiy    despondency,    as    the    thouglit    of   the 


cxxi.]  THE   PSALMS  299 


distance  between  the  gazer  and  the  mountains  chills 
his  aspirations.  "  It  is  easy  to  look,  but  hard  to  journey 
thither.  How  shall  I  reach  that  goal  ?  I  am  weak  ; 
the  way  is  long  and  beset  with  foes."  The  loftier  the 
ideal,  the  more  needful,  if  it  is  ever  to  be  reached,  that 
our  consciousness  of  its  height  and  of  our  own  feeble- 
ness should  drive  us  to  recognise  our  need  of  help  in 
order  to  attain  it. 

Whoever  has  thus  high  longings  sobered  by  lowly 
estimates  of  self  is  ready  to  receive  the  assurance  of 
Divine  aid.  That  sense  of  impotence  is  the  precursor 
of  faith.  We  must  distrust  ourselves,  if  we  are  ever  to 
confide  in  God.  To  know  that  we  need  His  aid  is  a 
condition  of  obtaining  it.  Bewildered  despondency  asks, 
"Whence  comes  my  help?"  and  scans  the  low  levels  in 
vain.  The  eye  that  is  lifted  to  the  hills  is  sure  to  see 
Him  coming  to  succour;  for  that  question  on  the  lips  of 
one  whose  looks  are  directed  thither  is  a  prayer,  rather 
than  a  question  ;  and  the  assistance  he  needs  sets  out 
towards  him  from  the  throne,  like  a  sunbeam  from  the 
sun,  as  soon  as  he  looks  up  to  the  light. 

The  particle  of  negation  in  ver.  3  is  not  that  used  in 
ver.  4,  but  that  which  is  employed  in  commands  or 
wishes.  The  progress  from  subjective  desire  in  ver.  3, 
to  objective  certainty  of  Divine  help  as  expressed  in 
ver,  4  and  the  remainder  of  the  psalm,  is  best  exhibited 
if  the  verbs  in  the  former  verse  are  translated  as  expres- 
sions of  wish — "  May  He  not,"  etc.  Whether  the 
speaker  is  taken  to  be  the  psalmist  or  another  makes 
little  difference  to  the  force  of  ver.  3,  which  lays  hold  in 
supplication  of  the  truth  just  uttered  in  ver.  2,  and 
thereby  gains  a  more  assured  certainty  that  it  is  true, 
as  the  following  verses  go  on  to  declare.  It  is  no  drop 
to  a  lower  mood  to  pass  from  assertion  of  God's  help 


300  THE  PSALMS 


to  prayer  for  it.  Rather  it  is  the  natural  progress  of 
faith.  Both  clauses  of  ver.  2  become  specially  signifi- 
cant if  this  is  a  song  for  pilgrims.  Their  daily  march 
and  their  nightly  encampment  will  then  be  placed  under 
the  care  of  Jehovah,  who  will  hold  up  their  feet  un- 
wearied on  the  road  and  watch  unslumbering  over  their 
repose.  But  such  a  reference  is  not  necessary.  The 
language  is  quite  general.  It  covers  the  whole  ground 
of  toil  and  rest,  and  prays  for  strength  for  the  one  and 
quiet  security  in  the  other. 

The  remainder  of  the  psalm  expands  the  one  thought 
of  Jehovah  the  Keeper,  with  sweet  reiteration,  and  yet 
comprehensive  variation.  First,  the  thought  of  the 
last  clause  of  the  preceding  verse  is  caught  up  again. 
Jehovah  is  the  keeper  of  the  community,  over  which 
He  watches  with  unslumbering  care.  He  keeps  Israel, 
so  long  as  Israel  keeps  His  law;  for  the  word  so 
frequently  used  here  is  the  same  as  is  continually 
employed  for  observance  of  the  commandments.  He 
had  seemed  to  slumber  while  Israel  was  in  exile,  and 
had  been  prayed  to  awake,  in  many  a  cry  from  the 
captives.  Now  they  have  learned  that  He  never 
slumbers :  His  power  is  unwearied,  and  needs  no  recu- 
peration ;  His  watchfulness  is  never  at  fault.  But 
universal  as  is  His  care,  it  does  not  overlook  the  single 
defenceless  suppliant.  He  is  ^^  thy  Keeper,"  and  will 
stand  at  thy  right  hand,  where  helpers  stand,  to  shield 
thee  from  all  dangers.  Men  lose  sight  of  the  individual 
in  the  multitude,  and  the  wider  their  benevolence  or 
beneficence,  the  less  it  takes  account  of  units ;  but  God 
loves  all  because  He  loves  each,  and  the  aggregate  is 
kept  because  each  member  of  it  is.  The  light  which 
floods  the  universe  gently  illumines  every  eye.  The 
two  conceptions  of  defence  and  impartation  of  power 


cxxi.]  THE  PSALMS 


are  smelted  together  in  the  pregnant  phrase  of  ver.  5  b, 
"  thy  shade  at  thy  right  hand." 

The  notion  of  shelter  from  evils  predominates  in  the 
remainder  of  the  psalm.  It  is  applied  in  ver.  6  to 
possible  perils  from  physical  causes :  the  fierce  sun- 
light beat  down  on  the  pilgrim  band,  and  the  moon 
was  believed,  and  apparently  with  correctness,  to  shed 
malignant  influences  on  sleepers.  The  same  antithesis 
of  day  and  night,  work  and  rest,  which  is  found  in 
ver.  3  appears  again  here.  The  promise  is  widened 
out  in  ver.  7  so  as  to  be  all-inclusive.  "  All  evil " 
will  be  averted  from  him  who  has  Jehovah  for  his 
keeper ;  therefore,  if  any  so-called  Evil  comes,  he  may 
be  sure  that  it  is  Good  with  a  veil  on.  We  should  apply 
the  assurances  of  the  psalm  to  the  interpretation  of 
life,  as  well  as  take  them  for  the  antidote  of  fearful 
anticipations. 

Equally  comprehensive  is  the  designation  of  that 
which  is  to  be  kept.  It  is  "  thy  soul,"  the  life  or 
personal  being.  Whatever  may  be  shorn  away  by  the 
sharp  shears  of  Loss,  that  will  be  safe  ;  and  if  it  is, 
nothing  else  matters  very  much.  The  individual  soul 
is  of  large  account  in  God's  sight :  He  keeps  it  as  a 
deposit  entrusted  to  Him  by  faith.  Much  may  go; 
but  His  hand  closes  round  us  when  we  commit  our- 
selves into  it,  and  none  is  able  to  pluck  us  thence. 

In  the  final  verse,  the  psalmist  recurs  to  his  favourite 
antithesis  of  external  toil  and  repose  in  the  home,  the 
two  halves  of  the  pilgrim  life  for  every  man ;  and 
while  thus,  in  the  first  clause  of  the  verse,  he  includes 
all  varieties  of  circumstance,  in  the  second  he  looks  on 
into  a  future  of  which  he  does  not  .see  the  bounds,  and 
triumphs  over  all  possible  foes  that  may  lurk  in  its 
dim  recesses,  in  the  assurance  that,  however  far  it  may 


302  THE  PSALMS 


extend,  and  whatever  strange  conditions  it  may  hide, 
the  Keeper  will  be  there,  and  all  will  be  well.  Whether 
or  not  he  looked  to  the  last  "  going  out,"  our  exodus 
from  earth  (Luke  ix.  31  ;  2  Peter  i.  15),  or  to  that 
abundant  entrance  (2  Peter  i.  11)  into  the  true  home 
which  crowns  the  pilgrimage  here,  we  cannot  but  read 
into  his  indefinite  words  their  largest  meaning,  and 
rejoice  that  we  have  One  who  "is  able  to  keep  that 
which  we  have  committed  to  Him  against  that  day." 


PSALM   CXXII. 

1  I  rejoiced  when  they  said  to  me, 
To  the  house  of  Jehovah  let  us  go. 

2  Standing  are  our  feet 
In  thy  gates,  Jerusalem. 

3  Jerusalem  that  art  built  [again] 
As  a  city  that  is  compact  together. 

4  Whither  went  up  the  tribes,  the  tribes  of  Jah, 
— [According  to]  the  precept  for  Israel — 

To  give  thanks  to  the  name  of  Jehovah. 

5  For  there  were  set  thrones  of  judgment. 
Thrones  for  the  house  of  David. 

6  Pray  for  the  peace  of  Jerusalem  ; 
Prosperous  be  they  who  love  thee  ! 

7  Be  peace  within  thy  bulwark, 
Prosperity  within  thy  palaces. 

8  Because  of  my  brethren  and  my  companions'  sake 
Let  me  now  wish  thee  peace. 

9  Because  of  the  house  of  Jehovah  our  God 
Let  me  now  seek  thy  good. 

THIS  is  very  distinctly  a  pilgrim  psalm.  But  there 
is  difficulty  in  determining  the  singer's  precise 
point  of  view,  arising  from  the  possibility  of  under- 
standing the  phrase  in  ver.  2,  "  are  standing,"  as  meaning 
either  "are"  or  "were  standing"  or  "have  stood." 
If  it  is  taken  as  a  present  tense,  the  psalm  begins  by 
recalling  the  joy  with  which  the  pilgrims  began  their 
march,  and  in  ver.  2  rejoices  in  reaching  the  goal. 
Then,  in  vv.  3,  4,  5  the  psalmist  paints  the  sight  of 

303 


304  THE  PSALMS 


the  city  which  gladdened  the  gazers'  eyes,  remembers 
ancient  glories  when  Jerusalem  was  the  rallying-point 
for  united  worship  and  the  seat  of  the  Davidic  monarchy, 
and  finally  pours  out  patriotic  exhortations  to  love 
Jerusalem  and  prayers  for  her  peace  and  prosperity. 
This  seems  the  most  natural  construing  of  the  psalm. 
If,  on  the  other  hand,  ver.  2  refers  to  a  past  time,  "  tlie 
poet,  now  again  returning  home  or  actually  returned, 
remembers  the  whole  pilgrimage  from  its  beginning 
onwards."  This  is  possible  ;  but  the  warmth  of  emotion 
in  the  exclamation  in  ver.  3  is  more  appropriate  to  the 
moment  of  rapturous  realisation  of  a  long-sought  joy 
than  to  the  paler  remembrance  of  it. 

Taking,  then,  the  former  view  of  the  verse,  we  have 
the  beginning  and  end  of  the  pilgrimage  brought  into 
juxtaposition  in  vv.  I  and  2.  It  was  begun  in  joy ; 
it  ends  in  full  attainment  and  a  satisfied  rapture,  as  the 
pilgrim  finds  the  feet  which  have  traversed  many  a 
weary  mile  planted  at  last  within  the  cit}'.  How  fading 
the  annoyances  of  the  road  !  Happy  they  whose  life's 
^  path  ends  where  the  psalmist's  did  !  The  joy  of  fruition 
will  surpass  that  of  anticipation,  and  difficulties  and 
dangers  will  be  forgotten. 

Vv.  3-5  give  voice  to  the  crowding  thoughts  and 
memories  waked  by  that  moment  of  supreme  joy,  when 
dreams  and  hopes  have  become  realities,  and  the 
pilgrim's  happy  eyes  do  actually  see  the  city.  It 
stands  "  built,"  by  which  is  best  understood  built 
anciv,  rising  from  the  ruins  of  many  years.  It  is 
"compact  together,"  the  former  breaches  in  the  walls 
and  the  melancholy  gaps  in  the  buildings  being  filled 
up.  Others  take  the  reference  to  be  to  the  crowding 
of  its  houses,  which  its  site,  a  narrow  peninsula  of  rock 
with  deep  ravines  on  three  sides,  made  necessary.     But 


cxxii.]  THE  PSALMS  305 

fair  to  his  eyes  as  the  Jerusalem  of  to-day  looked,  the 
poet-patriot  sees  auguster  forms  rising  behind  it,  and  , 
recalls  vanished  glories,  when  all  the  twelve  tribes 
came  up  to  worship,  according  to  the  commandment, 
and  there  was  yet  a  king  in  Israel.  The  religious  and 
civil  life  of  the  nation  had  their  centres  in  the  city ;  and 
Jerusalem  had  become  the  seat  of  worship  because  it 
was  the  seat  of  the  monarchy.  These  days  were  past ; 
but  though  few  in  number,  the  tribes  still  were  going 
up;  and  the  psalmist  docs  not  feel  the  sadness  but  the 
sanctity  of  the  vanished  past. 

Thus  moved  to  the  depths  of  his  soul,  he  breaks 
forth  into  exhortation  to  his  companion  pilgrims  to 
pray  for  the  peace  of  the  city.  There  is  a  play  on  the 
meaning  of  the  name  in  ver.  6  a ;  for,  as  the  Tel-el- 
Amarna  tablets  have  told  us,  the  name  of  the  city  of 
the  priest-king  was  Uru  Salim — the  city  of  [the  god  of] 
peace.  The  prayer  is  that  the  nomen  may  become  omcn^ 
and  that  the  hope  that  moved  in  the  hearts  that  had 
so  long  ago  and  in  the  midst  of  wars  given  so  fair  a 
designation  to  their  abode,  may  be  fulfilled  now  at  last. 
A  similar  play  of  words  lies  in  the  interchange  of 
"peace"  and  "prosperity,"  which  are  closely  similar 
in  sound  in  the  Hebrew.  So  sure  is  the  psalmist  that 
God  will  favour  Zion,  that  he  assures  his  companions 
that  individual  well-being  will  be  secured  by  loyal  love 
to  her.  The  motive  appealed  to  may  be  so  put  as  to 
be  mere  selfishness,  though,  if  any  man  loved  Zion  not 
for  Zion's  sake  but  for  his  own,  he  could  scarcely  be 
deemed  to  love  her  at  all.  But  rightly  understood,  the 
psalmist  proclaims  an  everlasting  truth,  that  the  highest;^ 
good  is  realised  by  sinking  self  in  a  passion  of  earnest 
love  for  and  service  to  the  City  of  God.  Such  love  is 
in  itself  well-being ;  and  while  it  may  have  no  rewards 

VOL.  in.  20 


3o6  THE  PSALMS 


appreciable  by  sense,  it  cannot  fail  of  sharing  in  the 
good  of  Zion  and  the  prosperity  of  God's  chosen. 
The  singer  puts  forth  the  prayers  which  he  enjoins 

y,  on  others,  and  rises  high  above  all  considerations  of 
self  His  desires  are  winged  by  two  great  motives, — 
on  the  one  hand,  his  self-oblivious  wish  for  the  good  of 
those  who  are  knit  to  him  by  common  faith  and  worship  ; 
on  the  other,  his  loving  reverence  for  the  sacred  house 
of  Jehovah.  That  house  hallowed  every  stone  in  the 
city.     To   wish   for  the   prosperity  of  Jerusalem,    for- 

^getting  that  the  Temple  was  in  it,  would  have  been 
mere  earthly  patriotism,  a  very  questionable  virtue. 
To  wish  and  struggle  for  the  growth  of  an  external 
organisation  called  a  Church,  disregarding  the  Presence 
which  gives  it  all  its  sanctity,  is  no  uncommon  fault  in 
some  who  think  that  they  are  actuated  by  **  zeal  for  the 
Lord,"  when  it  is  a  much  more  earthly  flame  that  burns 
in  them. 


PSALM    CXXIII. 

1  To  Thee  lift  I  mine  eyes, 

O  Thou  that  art  enthroned  in  the  heavens. 

2  Behold,  as  the  eyes  of  slaves  are  towards  the  hand  of  their  masters, 
As  the  eyes  of  a  maid  are  towards  the  hand  of  her  mistress, 

So  [are]  our  eyes  towards  Jehovah  our  God, 
Till  He  be  gracious  to  us. 

3  Be  gracious  to  us,  Jehovah,  be  gracious  to  us, 
For  we  are  abundantly  filled  with  contempt. 

4  Abundantly  is  our  soul  filled 

With  the  scorn  of  them  that  are  at  ease, 
The  contempt  of  the  proud. 

A  SIGH  and  an  upward  gaze  and  a  sigh  !  No 
period  is  more  appropriate,  as  that  of  this  psahn, 
than  the  early  days  after  the  return  from  exile,  when 
the  little  community,  which  had  come  back  with  high 
hopes,  found  themselves  a  laughing-stock  to  their 
comfortable  and  malicious  neighbours.  The  contrast 
of  tone  with  the  joy  of  the  preceding  psalm  is  very 
striking.  After  the  heights  of  devout  gladness  have 
been  reached,  it  is  still  needful  to  come  down  to  stern 
realities  of  struggle,  and  these  can  only  be  faced 
when  the  eye  of  patient  dependence  and  hope  is  fixed 
on  God. 

That  attitude  is  the  great  lesson  of  this  brief  and 
perfect  expression  of  wistful  yet  unfaltering  trust 
joined  with  absolute  submission.  The  upward  look 
here  is  like,  but  also  unlike,  that  in  Psalm  cxxi.,  in  that 

307 


xo8  THE  PSALMS 


this  is  less  triumphant,  though  not  less  assured,  and 
has  an  expression  of  lowly  submission  in  the  appealing 
gaze.  Commentators  quote  illustrations  of  the  silent 
observance  of  the  master's  look  by  his  rows  of  slaves  ; 
but  these  are  not  needed  to  elucidate  the  vivid  image. 
It  tells  its  own  stor3^  Absolute  submission  to  God's 
hand,  whether  it  wields  a  rod  or  lavishes  gifts  or  points 
to  service,  befits  those  whose  highest  honour  is  to  be 
His  slaves.  They  should  stand  where  they  can  see 
Him  ;  they  should  have  their  gaze  fixed  upon  Him  ; 
they  should  look  with  patient  trust,  as  well  as  with 
eager  willingness  to  start  into  activity  when  He  indi- 
cates His  commands. 

The  sigh  for  deliverance,  in  the  second  half  of  the 
psalm,  is  no  breach  of  that  patient  submission.  Trust 
and  resignation  do  not  kill  natural  shrinking  from 
contempt  and  scorn.  It  is  enough  that  they  turn 
shrinking  into  supplication  and  lamentations  into 
appeals  to  God.  He  lets  His  servants  make  their 
moan  to  Him,  and  tell  how  full  their  souls  have 
long  been  of  men's  scorn.  As  a  plea  with  Him  the 
psalmist  urges  the  mockers'  "  ease."  In  their  security 
and  full-fed  complacency,  they  laughed  at  the  struggling 
band,  as  men  gorged  with  material  good  ever  do  at 
enthusiasts  ;  but  it  is  better  to  be  contemned  for  the 
difficulties  which  cleaving  to  the  ruins  of  God's  city 
brings,  than  to  be  the  contemners  in  their  selfish 
abundance.  They  are  further  designated  as  "  haughty," 
by  a  word  which  the  Hebrew  margin  reads  as  two 
words,  meaning  "  proud  ones  of  the  oppressors  "  ;  but 
this  is  unnecessary,  and  the  text  yields  a  good  meaning 
as  it  stands,  though  the  word  employed  is  unusual. 

This  sweet  psalm,  with  all  its  pained  sense  of  the 
mockers'  gibes  and  their  long  duration,  has  no  accent 


.]  THE  PSALMS  309 


of  impatience.  Perfect  submission,  fixed  observance, 
assured  confidence  that,  "  till  He  is  gracious,"  it  is 
best  to  bear  what  He  sends,  befit  His  servants,  and 
need  not  hinder  their  patient  cry  to  Him,  nor  their 
telling  Him  how  long  and  hard  their  trial  has  been. 


PSALM    CXXIV. 

1  Had  not  Jehovah  been  for  us, 
— Thus  let  Israel  say — 

2  Had  not  Jehovah  been  for  us, 
When  men  rose  against  us : 

3  Then  had  they  swallowed  us  alive. 
When  their  wrath  blazed  out  upon  us; 

4  Then  had  the  waters  overwhelmed  us, 
The  torrent  had  gone  over  our  soul  ; 

5  Tlien  had  gone  over  our  soul 
The  proud  waters. 

6  Blessed  be  Jehovah, 

Who  has  not  given  us  [as]  a  prey  to  their  teeth. 

7  Our  soul  is  like  a  bird  escaped  from  the  fowlers'  snare ; 
The  snare  is  broken,  and  we — we  are  escaped. 

8  Our  help  is  in  the  name  of  Jehovah, 
Maker  of  heaven  and  earth. 

A  SEQUENCE  may  be  traced  connecting  this  with 
the  two  adjacent  psalms.  In  Psahn  cxxiii.,  patient 
resignation  sighed  for  deUverance,  which  here  has  been 
received  and  has  changed  the  singer's  note  into  jubilant 
and  wondering  praise ;  while,  in  the  next  little  lyric, 
we  have  the  escaped  Israel  established  in  Jerusalem, 
and  drawing  omens  of  Divine  guardianship  from  its 
impregnable  position,  on  a  mountain  girt  by  mountains. 
This  psalm  is  an  outgush  of  the  first  rapture  of 
astonishment  and  joy  for  deliverance  so  sudden  and 
complete.  It  is  most  naturally  taken  as  the  expression 
of  the  feelings  of  the  exiles  on  their  restoration  from 
Babylon.     One   thought   runs   through   it  all,  that  the 

310 


cxxiv.]  THE  PSALMS 


sole  actor  in  their  deliverance  has  been  Jehovah.  No 
human  arm  has  been  bared  for  them ;  no  created  might 
could  have  rescued  them  from  the  rush  of  the  swelling 
deluge.  Like  a  bird  in  a  net  panting  with  fear  and 
helplessness,  they  waited  the  fowler's  grasp ;  but,  lo,  by 
an  unseen  Power  the  net  was  broken,  and  they  are  free 
to  wing  their  flight  to  their  nest.  So,  triumphantly  they 
ring  out  at  last  the  Name  which  has  been  their  help, 
abjuring  any  share  in  their  own  rescue,  and  content  to 
owe  it  all  to  Him. 

The  step-like  structure  is  very  obvious  in  this  psalm. 
As  Delitzsch  puts  it,  "  In  order  to  take  a  step  forward, 
it  always  goes  back  half  a  step."  But  the  repetitions 
are  not  mere  artistic  embellishments  ;  they  beautifully 
correspond  to  the  feelings  expressed.  A  heart  running 
over  with  thankful  surprise  at  its  own  new  security 
and  freedom  cannot  but  reiterate  the  occasion  of  its 
joy.  It  is  quite  as  much  devotion  as  art  which  sa3^s 
twice  over  that  Jehovah  was  on  the  singers'  side,  which 
twice  recalls  how  nearly  they  had  been  submerged  in 
the  raging  torrent,  and  twice  remembers  their  escape 
from  the  closely  wrapping  but  miraculously  broken 
snare.  A  suppliant  is  not  guilty  of  vain  repetitions 
though  he  asks  often  for  the  same  blessing,  and 
thanksgiving  for  answered  petitions  should  be  as  per- 
sistent as  the  petitions  were.  That  must  be  a  shallow 
gratitude  which  can  be  all  poured  out  at  one  gush. 

The  psalmist's  metaphors  for  Israel's  danger  are 
familiar  ones.  "  They  had  swallowed  us  alive "  may 
refer  to  the  open  jaws  of  Sheol,  as  in  other  psalms,  but 
more  probably  is  simply  a  figure  drawn  from  beasts  of 
prey,  as  in  ver.  6.  The  other  image  of  a  furious  swollen 
torrent  sweeping  over  the  heads  (or,  as  here,  over  the 
soul)    recalls    the    grand    contrast    drawn     by    Isaiah 


312  THE  PSALMS 


between  the  gently  flowing  "  waters  of  Siloam "  and 
the  devastating  rush  of  the  "river,"  symboHsing  the 
King  of  Assyria,  which,  hke  some  winter  torrent  swollen 
by  the  rains,  suddenly  rises  and  bears  on  its  tawny 
bosom  to  the  sea  the  ruins  of  men's  works  and  the 
corpses  of  the  workers. 

The  word  rendered  "  proud  "  is  a  rare  word,  coming 
from  a  root  meaning  to  boil  over,  and  may  be  used  here 
in  its  literal  sense,  but  is  more  probably  to  be  taken  in 
its  metaphorical  meaning  of  haughty,  and  applied  rather 
to  the  persons  signified  by  the  waters  than  to  the  flood 
itself.  Vv.  6  and  7  are  an  advance  on  the  preceding, 
inasmuch  as  those  described  rather  the  imminence  of 
danger,  and  these  magnify  the  completeness  of  Jehovah's 
delivering  mercy.  The  comparison  of  the  soul  to  a 
bird  is  beautiful  (Psalm  xi.  i).  It  hints  at  tremors  and 
feebleness,  at  alternations  of  feeling  like  the  flutter  of 
some  weak-winged  songster,  at  the  utter  helplessness 
of  the  panting  creature  in  the  toils.  One  hand  only 
could  break  the  snare,  and  then  the  bruised  wings  were 
swiftly  spread  for  flight  once  more,  and  up  into  the 
blue  went  the  ransomed  joy,  with  a  song  instead  of 
harsh  notes  of  alarm.  "  We — we  are  escaped."  That 
is  enough  :  we  are  out  of  the  net.  Whither  the  flight 
may  be  directed  does  not  concern  the  singer  in  the  first 
bliss  of  recovered  freedom.  All  blessedness  is  con- 
tained in  the  one  word  "escaped,"  which  therefore  he 
reiterates,  and  with  which  the  song  closes,  but  for  that 
final  ascription  of  the  glory  of  the  escape  to  the  mighty 
Name  of  Him  who  made  heaven  and  earth. 


PSALM    CXXV. 

1  They  who  trust  in  Jehovah 

Are  Hke  Mount  Zion,  [which]  cannot  be  moved, 
For  ever  it  shall  sit  steadfast. 

2  Jerusalem — mountains  are  round  her, 
And  Jehovah  is  round  His  people 
From  now  and  for  ever. 

3  For  the  sceptre  of  the  wicked  shall  not  rest  on  the  lot 

of  the  righteous  ones, 
Lest  the  righteous  put  forth  their  hands  to  iniquity. 

4  Do  good,  Jehovah,  to  the  good. 
And  to  the  upright  in  their  hearts. 

5  And  those  who  warp  their  crooked  paths, 

Jehovah  shall  make  them  go  with  the  workers  of  iniquity. 
Peace  be  upon  Israel ! 

THE  references  to  the  topography  of  Jerusalem  in 
vv.  I,  2,  do  not  absolutely  require,  though  they 
recommend,  the  supposition,  already  mentioned,  that  this 
psalm  completes  a  triad  which  covers  the  experience 
of  the  restored  Israel  from  the  time  just  prior  to  its 
deliverance  up  till  the  period  of  its  return  to  Jerusalem. 
The  strength  of  the  city  perched  on  its  rocky  peninsula, 
and  surrounded  by  guardian  heights,  would  be  the 
more  impressive  to  eyes  accustomed  to  the  plains  of 
Babylon,  where  the  only  defence  of  cities  was  artificial. 
If  this  hypothesis  as  to  the  date  of  the  psalm  is 
accepted,  its  allusions  to  a  foreign  domination  and  to 
half-hearted  members  of  the  community,  as  distinguished 
from  manifest  workers   of  evil,    fall   in   with   the   facts 

313 


314  THE  PSALMS 


of  the  period.  The  httle  band  of  faithful  men  was 
surrounded  by  foes,  and  there  were  faint  hearts  among 
themselves,  ready  to  temporise  and  "  run  with  the 
hare,"  as  well  as  "  hunt  with  the  hounds."  In  view  of 
deliverance  accomplished  and  of  perils  still  to  be  faced, 
the  psalmist  sings  this  strong  brief  song  of  commenda- 
tion of  the  excellence  of  Trust,  anticipates  as  already 
fulfilled  the  complete  emancipation  of  the  land  from 
alien  rule,  and  proclaims,  partly  in  prayer  and  partly 
in  prediction,  the  great  law  of  retribution — certain 
blessedness  for  those  who  are  good,  and  destruction  for 
the  faithless. 

The  first  of  the  two  grand  images  in  vv.  i,  2,  sets 
forth  the  stability  of  those  who  trust  in  Jehovah.  The 
psalmist  pictures  Mount  Zion  somewhat  singularly  as 
"  sitting  steadfast,"  whereas  the  usual  expression  would 
be  "  stands  firm."  But  the  former  conveys  still  more 
forcibly  the  image  and  impression  of  calm,  effortless 
immobility.  Like  some  great  animal  couched  at  ease,  the 
mountain  lies  there,  in  restful  strength.  Nothing  can 
shake  it,  except  One  Presence,  before  which  the  hills 
"  skip  like  young  rams."  Thus  quietly  steadfast  and 
lapped  in  repose,  not  to  be  disturbed  by  any  external 
force,  should  they  be  who  trust  in  Jehovah,  and  shall 
be  in  the  measure  of  their  trust. 

But  trust  could  not  bring  such  steadfastness,  unless 
the  other  figure  in  ver.  2  represented  a  fact.  The 
steadfastness  of  the  trustful  soul  is  the  consequence 
of  the  encircling  defence  of  Jehovah's  power.  The 
mountain  fortress  is  girdled  by  mountains ;  not,  indeed, 
as  if  it  was  ringed  about  by  an  unbroken  circle  of 
manifestly  higher  peaks ;  but  still  Olivet  rises  above 
Zion  on  the  cast,  and  a  spur  of  higher  ground  runs 
out   thciicc   and   overlooks   it  on  the  north,  while   the 


cxxv.]  THE  PSALMS  315 

levels  rise  to  the  west,  and  the  so-called  Hill  of  Evil 
Counsel  is  on  the  south.  They  are  not  conspicuous 
summits,  but  they  hide  the  city  from  those  approaching, 
till  their  tops  are  reached.  Perhaps  the  very  incon- 
spicuousness  of  these  yet  real  defences  suggested  to  the 
poet  the  invisible  protection  which  to  purblind  eyes 
looked  so  poor,  but  was  so  valid.  The  hills  of  Bashan 
might  look  scornfully  across  Jordan  to  the  humble 
heights  round  Jerusalem  ;  but  they  were  enough  to 
guard  the  city.  The  psalmist  uses  no  words  of  com- 
parison, but  la^'s  his  two  facts  side  by  side  :  the 
mountains  round  Jerusalem — Jehovah  round  His  people. 
That  circumvallation  is  their  defence.  They  who  have 
the  everlasting  hills  for  their  bulwark  need  not  trouble 
themselves  to  build  a  wall  such  as  Babylon  needed. 
Man's  artifices  for  protection  are  impertinent  when  God 
flings  His  hand  round  His  people.  Zechariah,  the 
prophet  of  the  Restoration,  drew  that  conclusion  from 
the  same  thought,  when  he  declared  that  Jerusalem 
should  be  "  inhabited  as  villages  without  walls,"  because 
Jehovah  would  be  "  unto  her  a  wall  of  fire  round 
about"  (Zech.  ii.  4,  5). 

Ver.  3  seems  at  first  sight  to  be  appended  to  the 
preceding  in  defiance  of  logical  connection,  for  its 
"  for "  would  more  naturally  have  been  "  therefore," 
since  the  deliverance  of  the  land  from  foreign  invaders 
is  a  consequence  of  Jehovah's  protection.  But  the 
psalmist's  faith  is  so  strong  that  he  regards  that 
still  further  deliverance  as  already  accomplished,  and 
adduces  it  as  a  confirmation  of  the  fact  that  Jehovah 
ever  guards  His  people.  In  the  immediate  historical 
reference  this  verse  points  to  a  period  when  the  lot  of 
the  righteous — i.e.,  the  land  of  Israel — was,  as  it  were, 
weighed  down  by  the  crushing  sceptre  of  some  alien 


3i6  THE  PSALMS 


power  that  had  long  lain  on ,  it.  But  the  psalmist  is 
sure  that  that  is  not  going  to  last,  because  his  eyes 
are  lifted  to  the  hills  whence  his  aid  comes.  With 
like  tenacity  and  longsightedness,  Faith  ever  looks 
onward  to  the  abolition  of  present  evils,  however 
stringent  may  be  their  grip,  and  however  heavy  may 
be  the  sceptre  which  Evil  in  possession  of  the  heritage 
of  God  wields.  The  rod  of  the  oppressor  shall  be 
broken,  and  one  more  proof  given  that  they  dwell 
safely  who  dwell  encircled  by  God. 

The  domination  of  evil,  if  protracted  too  long,  may 
tempt  good  men,  who  are  righteous  because  they  trust, 
to  lose  their  faith  and  so  to  lose  their  righteousness, 
and  make  common  cause  with  apparently  triumphant 
iniquit}^  It  needs  Divine  wisdom  to  determine  how 
long  a  trial  must  last  in  order  that  it  may  test  faith, 
thereby  strengthening  it,  and  may  not  confound  faith, 
thereby  precipitating  feeble  souls  into  sin.  He  knows 
when  to  say,  It  is  enough. 

So  the  psalm  ends  with  pra^'er  and  prediction,  which 
both  spring  from  the  insight  into  Jehovah's  purposes 
which  trust  gives.  The  singer  asks  that  the  good  may 
receive  good,  in  accordance  with  the  law  of  retribution. 
The  expressions  describing  these  are  very  noticeable, 
especially  when  connected  with  the  designation  of  the 
same  persons  in  ver.  i  as  those  who  trust  in  Jehovah. 
Trust  makes  righteous  and  good  and  upright  in  heart. 
If  these  characteristics  are  to  be  distinguished,  righteous 
may  refer  to  action  in  conformity  with  the  law  of  God, 
good  to  the  more  gentle  and  beneficent  virtues,  and 
upright  in  heart  to  inward  sincerity.  Such  persons  will 
get  "  good "  from  Jehovah,  the  God  of  recompenses, 
and  that  good  will  be  as  various  as  their  necessities 
and   as   wide   as    their    capacities.      But    the  righteous 


THE  PSALMS  317 


Protector  of  those  who  trust  in  Him  is  so,  partly 
because  He  smites  as  well  as  blesses,  and  therefore 
the  other  half  of  the  law  of  retribution  comes  into 
view,  not  as  a  petition,  but  as  prediction.  The  psalmist 
uses  a  vivid  image  to  describe  half-hearted  adherents 
to  the  people  of  Jehovah  :  *'  they  bend  their  ways,"  so 
as  to  make  them  crooked.  Sometimes  the  tortuous 
path  points  towards  one  direction,  and  then  it  swerves 
to  almost  the  opposite.  "  Those  crooked,  wandering 
ways,"  in  which  irresolute  men,  who  do  not  clearly 
know  whether  they  are  for  Jehovah  or  for  the  other 
side,  live  lives  miserable  from  vacillation,  can  never 
lead  to  steadfastness  or  to  any  good.  The  psalmist 
has  taken  his  side.  He  knows  whom  he  is  for ;  and 
he  knows,  too,  that  there  is  at  bottom  little  to  choose 
between  the  coward  who  would  fain  be  in  both  camps 
and  the  open  antagonist.  Therefore  they  shall  share 
the  same  fate. 

Finally  the  poet,  stretching  out  his  hands  over  all 
Israel,  as  if  blessing  them  like  a  priest,  embraces  all  his 
hopes,  petitions,  and  wishes  in  the  one  pra3-cr  "  Peace 
be  upon  Israel ! "  He  means  the  true  Israel  of  God 
(Gal.  vi.  16),  upon  whom  the  Apostle,  with  a  reminiscence 
possibly  of  this  psalm,  invokes  the  like  blessing,  and 
whom  he  defines  in  the  same  spirit  as  the  psalmist 
does,  as  those  who  walk  according  to  this  rule,  and  not 
according  to  the  crooked  paths  of  their  own  devising. 


PSALM  CXXVI. 

1  When  Jehovah  brought  back  the  captives  of  Zion, 
We  were  like  as  if  dreaming. 

2  Then  was  our  mouth  filled  with  laughter, 
And  our  tongues  with  joyful  cries  ; 
Then  said  they  among  the  nations, 

Jehovah  has  done  great  things  with  these  [people]. 

3  Jehovah  has  done  great  things  with  us ; 
We  were  glad. 

4  Bring  back,  Jehovah,  cur  captives. 
Like  watercourses  in  the  Southland. 

5  They  who  sow  with  tears 
With  joyful  cries  shall  reap. 

6  [The  husbandman]  goes,  going  and  weeping, 
[While]  bearing  the  handful  of  seed  ; 

He  shall  surely  come  with  joyful  cries, 
[When]  bearing  his  sheaves. 

AS  in  Psalm  Ixxxv.,  the  poet's  point  of  view  here 
is  in  the  midst  of  a  partial  restoration  of  Israel. 
In  vv.  1-3  he  rejoices  over  its  happy  beginning,  while 
in  vv.  4-6  he  prays  for  and  confidently  expects  its 
triumphant  completion.  Manifestly  the  circumstances 
fit  the  period  to  which  most  of  these  pilgrim  psalms 
are  to  be  referred — namely,  the  dawn  of  the  restoration 
from  Babylon.  Here  the  pressure  of  the  difficulties 
and  hostility  which  the  returning  exiles  met  is  but 
slightly  expressed.  The  throb  of  wondering  gratitude 
is  still  felt ;  and  though  tears  mingle  with  laughter, 
and  hard  work  which  bears  no  inmiediate  result  has 
to    be    done,    the    singer's    confidence    is    unfaltering. 

3'8 


cxxvi.]  THE  PSALMS  319 

His  words  set  a  noble  example  of  the  spirit  in  which 
inchoate  deliverances  should  be  welcomed,  and  toil  for 
their  completion  encountered  with  the  lightheartedness 
which  is  folly  if  it  springs  from  self-trust,  but  wisdom 
and  strength  if  its  ground  is  the  great  things  which 
Jehovah  has  begun  to  do. 

The  word  in  ver.  i  rendered  captives  is  capable  of 
other  meanings.  It  is  an  unusual  form,  and  is  prob- 
ably an  error  for  the  more  common  word  which  occurs 
in  ver.  4.  It  is  most  probable  that  the  expressions 
should  be  identical  in  both  instances,  though  small 
changes  in  a  refrain  are  not  infrequent.  But  if  this 
correction  is  adopted,  there  is  room  for  difference  of 
opinion  as  to  the  meaning  of  the  phrase.  Cheyne,  with 
the  support  of  several  other  commentators,  takes  the 
phrase  to  mean  "  turn  the  fortunes "  (lit.,  a  turning), 
but  allows  that  the  "  debate  is  not  absolutely  closed  " 
(Critical  Note  on  Psalm  xiv.  7).  The  ordinary  ren- 
dering is,  however,  more  natural,  "captivity"  being 
the  mass  of  captives.  Others  would  regard  the  two 
words  in  vv.  i  and  4  as  different,  and  render  the 
former  "  those  who  return "  (Delitzsch)  or  "  the 
returned  "  (Perowne). 

Sudden  and  great  revolutions  for  the  better  have  for 
their  first  effect  bewilderment  and  a  sense  of  unreality. 
Most  men  have  some  supreme  moment  of  blessedness 
in  their  memories  with  which  they  were  stunned  ;  but, 
alas !  it  is  oftener  the  rush  of  unexpected  miseries 
that  makes  them  wonder  whether  they  are  awake 
or  dreaming.  It  is  not  lack  of  faith,  but  slowness  in 
accommodating  oneself  to  surprising  new  conditions, 
which  makes  these  seem  unreal  at  first.  **  The  sober 
certainty  of  waking  bliss "  is  sweeter  than  the  first 
raptures.      It  is  good  to  have  had  such  experience  of 


320  THE  PSALMS 


walking,   as   it  were,  on  air ;  but  it  is  better  to  plant 
firm  feet  on  firm  ground. 

The  mood  of  the  first  part  of  this  little  psalm  is 
momentary ;  but  the  steadfast  toil  amid  discourage- 
ments, not  uncheered  by  happy  confidence,  which 
is  pictured  in  the  second  part,  should  be  the  permanent 
temper  of  those  who  have  once  tasted  the  brief  emotion. 
The  jubilant  laughter  and  ringing  cries  with  which 
the  exiles  streamed  forth  from  bondage,  and  made 
the  desert  echo  as  they  marched,  witnessed  to  the 
nations  that  Jehovah  had  magnified  His  dealings  with 
them.  Their  extorted  acknowledgment  is  caught  up 
triumphantly  by  the  singer.  He,  as  it  were,  thanks 
the  Gentiles  for  teaching  him  that  word.  There  is  a 
world  of  restrained  feeling,  all  the  more  impressive  for 
the  simplicity  of  the  expression,  in  that  quiet  "  We 
became  glad."  When  the  heathen  attested  the  reality 
of  the  deliverance,  Israel  became  calmly  conscious  of  it. 
These  exclamations  of  envious  onlookers  sufficed  to 
convince  the  returning  exiles  that  it  was  no  dream 
befooling  them.  Tumultuous  feeling  steadied  itself  into 
conscious  joy.  There  is  no  need  to  say  more.  The 
night  of  weeping  was  past,  and  Joy  was  their  com- 
panion in  the  fresh  morning  light. 

But  the  work  was  but  partly  done.  Difficulties  and 
hardships  were  not  abolished  from  the  world,  as  Israel 
had  half  expected  in  the  first  flush  of  joy.  We  all  are 
apt  to  think  so,  when  some  long  wished  and  faintly 
hoped-for  good  is  ours  at  last.  But  not  such  is  the 
Divine  purpose  for  any  life  here.  He  gives  moments 
of  untroubled  joy,  when  no  cloud  stains  the  blue  and 
all  the  winds  are  still,  in  order  to  prepare  us  for  toil 
amid  tempests  and  gloomy  skies.  So  the  second  half 
of  the  psalm   breathes  petitions  for  the  completion  of 


cxxvi.]  THE  PSALMS  321 


the  Restoration,  and  animates  the  returned  exiles  with 
assurances  that,  whatever  may  be  their  toils,  and  how- 
ever rough  the  weather  in  which  they  have  to  sow  the 
seed,  and  however  heavy  the  hearts  with  which  they 
do  it,  "  the  slow  result  of  winter  showers "  is  sure. 
Lessons  of  persevering  toil,  of  contented  doing  of  pre- 
paratory work,  of  confidence  that  no  such  labour  can 
fail  to  be  profitable  to  the  doer  and  to  the  world,  have 
been  drawn  for  centuries  from  the  sweet  words  of  this 
psalm.  Who  can  tell  how  many  hearts  they  have 
braced,  how  much  patient  toil  they  have  inspired  ?  The 
psalmist  was  sowing  seed,  the  fruit  of  which  he  little 
dreamed  of,  when  he  wrote  them,  and  his  sheaves  will 
be  an  exceeding  weight  indeed. 

The  metaphor  in  ver.  4  brings  before  the  imagination 
the  dried  torrent-beds  in  the  arid  Negeb,  or  Southland, 
which  runs  out  into  the  Arabian  desert.  Dreary  and 
desolate  as  these  dried  wadies  lie  bleaching  in  the 
sunshine,  so  disconsolate  and  lonely  had  the  land  been 
without  inhabitants.  The  psalmist  would  fain  see,  not 
the  thin  trickle  of  a  streamlet,  to  which  the  returned 
captives  might  be  compared,  but  a  full,  great  rush  of 
rejoicing  fellow-countrymen  coming  back,  like  the  tor- 
rents that  fill  the  silent  watercourses  with  flashing  life. 

He  prays,  and  he  also  prophesies.  *'  They  who  sow 
with  tears"  are  the  pioneers  of  the  return,  to  whom 
he  belonged.  Vv.  6,  7,  merely  expand  the  figure  of 
ver.  5  with  the  substitution  of  the  image  of  a  single 
husbandman  for  the  less  vivid,  clear-cut  plural.  The 
expression  rendered  "  handful  of  seed  "  means  literally 
a  "draught  of  seed" — i.e.,  the  quantity  taken  out  of  the 
basket  or  cloth  at  one  grasp,  in  order  to  be  sown.  It 
is  difficult  to  convey  the  force  of  the  infinitives  in  com- 
bination with  participles  and  the  finite  verb  in  ver.  6. 

VOL.  ni.  21 


322  THE  PSALMS 


But  the  first  half  of  the  verse  seems  to  express  repeated 
actions  on  the  part  of  the  husbandman,  who  often  goes 
forth  to  sow,  and  weeps  as  he  goes ;  while  the  second 
half  expresses  the  certainty  of  his  glad  coming  in  with 
his  arms  full  of  sheaves.  The  meaning  of  the  figure 
needs  no  illustration.  It  gives  assurances  fitted  to 
animate  to  toil  in  the  face  of  dangers  without,  and  in 
spite  of  a  heavy  heart — namely,  that  no  seed  sown  and 
watered  with  tears  is  lost ;  and  further,  that,  though 
it  often  seems  to  be  the  law  for  earth  that  one  soweth 
and  another  reapeth,  in  deepest  truth  "  every  man 
shall  receive  his  own  reward,  according  to  his  own 
labour,"  inasmuch  as,  hereafter,  if  not  now,  whatsoever 
of  faith  and  toil  and  holy  endeavour  a  man  soweth, 
trusting  to  God  to  bless  the  springing  thereof,  that  shall 
he  also  reap.  In  the  highest  sense  and  in  the  last 
result  the  prophet's  great  words  are  ever  true:  "They 
shall  not  plant,  and  another  eat  .  .  .  for  My  chosen 
shall  long  enjoy  the  work  of  their  hands  "  (Isa.  Ixv.  22). 


PSALM   CXXVII. 

1  If  Jehovah  build  not  a  house, 
Vainly  do  its  builders  toil  upon  it; 
If  Jehovah  keeps  not  a  city, 
Vainly  wakes  the  keeper. 

2  Vain  is  it  for  you,  ye  that  make  early  [your]  rising 

and  your  sitting  down  late, 
That  eat  the  bread  of  painful  toil ; 
Even  so  He  gives  [it]  to  His  beloved  while'in  sleep. 

3  Behold,  sons  are  an  heritage  from  Jehovah, 
The  fruit  of  the  womb  is  [His]  reward. 

4  Like  arrows  in  the  hand  of  a  mighty  man. 
So  are  sons  of  [a  father's]  youth. 

5  Happy  the  man  who  has  filled  his  quiver  with  them. 
They  shall  not  be  ashamed 

When  they  speak  with  enemies  in  the  gate. 

THIS  pure  expression  of  conscious  dependence  on 
God's  blessing  for  all  well-being  may  possibly 
have  special  reference  to  the  Israel  of  the  Restoration. 
The  instances  of  vain  human  effort  and  care  would 
then  have  special  force,  when  the  ruins  of  many  gene- 
rations had  to  be  rebuilt  and  the  city  to  be  guarded. 
But  there  is  no  need  to  seek  for  specific  occasion,  so 
general  is  this  psalm.  It  sings  in  a  spirit  of  happy  trust 
the  commonplace  of  all  true  religion,  that  God's  blessing 
prospers  all  things,  and  that  effort  is  vain  without  it. 
There  is  no  sweeter  utterance  of  that  truth  anywhere, 
till   we  come   to  our   Lord's  parallel  teaching,  lovelier 

323 


324  THE  PSALMS 


still  than  that  of  our  psalm,  when  He  points  us  to  the 
flowers  of  the  field  and  the  fowls  of  the  air,  as  our 
teachers  of  the  joyous,  fair  lives  that  can  be  lived,  when 
no  carking  care  mars  their  beauty. 

In  ver.  i  the  examples  chosen  by  the  singer  are 
naturally  connected.  The  house  when  built  is  one  in 
the  many  that  make  the  city.  The  owner's  troubles 
are  not  over  when  it  is  built,  since  it  has  to  be  watched. 
It  is  as  hard  to  keep  as  to  acquire  earthly  goods.  The 
psalmist  uses  the  past  tenses  in  describing  the  vanity 
of  building  and  watching  unblessed  by  God.  "  They  " 
have  built  in  vain,  and  watched  in  vain.  He,  as  it  were, 
places  us  at  the  point  of  time  when  the  failure  is 
developed, — the  half-built  house  a  ruin,  the  city  sacked 
and  in  flames. 

Ver.  2  deals  with  domestic  life  within  the  built  house 
and  guarded  city.  It  is  vain  to  eke  out  the  laborious 
day  by  early  beginning  and  late  ending.  Long  hours 
do  not  mean  prosperous  work.  The  evening  meal  may 
be  put  off  till  a  late  hour ;  and  when  the  toil-worn  man 
sits  down  to  it,  he  may  eat  bread  made  bitter  by  labour. 
But  all  is  in  vain  without  God's  blessing.  The  last 
clause  of  the  verse  must  be  taken  as  presenting  a  con- 
trast to  the  futile  labour  reprehended  in  the  former 
clauses ;  and  therefore  the  beautiful  rendering  of  the 
A.V.  must  be  abandoned,  though  it  has  given  many 
sweet  thoughts  to  trustful  souls,  and  none  sweeter 
than  in  Mrs.  Browning's  pathetic  lines.  But  clearly 
the  contrast  is  between  labour  which  effects  nothing, 
but  is  like  spinning  ropes  out  of  sea-sand,  and  God's 
gift  of  the  good  which  the  vain  toil  had  aimed  at,  and 
which  He  gives  to  His  beloved  in  their  sleep.  "So" 
seems  here  to  be  equivalent  to  "  Even  so,"  and  the 
thought   intended   is   probably  that   God's  gift   to   His 


cicxvii.]  THE  PSALMS  325 

beloved    secures   to  them    the    same    result    as    is    in- 
effectually sought  by  godless  struggles. 

This  is  no  preaching  of  laziness  masquerading  as 
religious  trust.  The  psalmist  insists  on  one  side  of 
the  truth.  Not  work,  but  self-torturing  care  and  work, 
without  seeking  God's  blessing,  are  pronounced  vanity. 

The  remainder  of  the  psalm  dwells  on  one  special 
instance  of  God's  gifts,  that  of  a  numerous  family,  which, 
in  accordance  with  the  Hebrew  sentiment,  is  regarded 
as  a  special  blessing.  But  the  psalmist  is  carried 
beyond  his  immediate  purpose  of  pointing  out  that  that 
chief  earthly  blessing,  as  he  and  his  contemporaries 
accounted  it,  is  God's  gift,  and  he  lingers  on  the  picture 
of  a  father  surrounded  in  his  old  age  by  a  band  of 
stalwart  sons  born  unto  him  in  his  vigorous  youth,  and 
so  now  able  to  surround  him  with  a  ring  of  strong  pro- 
tectors of  his  declining  days.  "  They  shall  speak  with 
their  enemies  in  the  gate."  Probably  '*  they  "  refers  to 
the  whole  band,  the  father  in  the  midst  and  his  sons 
about  him.  The  gate  was  the  place  where  justice  was 
administered,  and  where  was  the  chief  place  of  concourse. 
It  is  therefore  improbable  that  actual  warfare  is  meant : 
rather,  in  the  disputes  which  might  arise  with  neigh- 
bours, and  in  the  intercourse  of  city  life,  which  would 
breed  enmities  enough,  the  man  with  his  sons  about 
him  could  hold  his  own.  And  such  blessing  is  God's 
gift. 

The  lesson  of  the  psalm  is  one  that  needs  to  be 
ever  repeated.  It  is  so  obvious  that  it  is  unseen  by 
many,  and  apt  to  be  unnoticed  by  all.  There  are  two 
ways  of  going  to  work  in  reference  to  earthly  good. 
One  is  that  of  struggling  and  toiling,  pushing  and 
snatching,  fighting  and  envying,  and  that  way  comes 
to  no  successful  issue ;  for  if  it  gets  what  it  has  wriggled 


326  THE  PSALMS 


and  wrestled  for,  it  generally  gets  in  some  way  or  other 
an  incapacity  to  enjoy  the  good  won,  which  makes  it 
far  less  than  the  good  pursued.  The  other  way  is  the 
way  of  looking  to  God  and  doing  the  appointed  tasks 
with  quiet  dependence  on  Him,  and  that  way  always 
succeeds ;  for,  with  its  modest  or  large  outward  results, 
there  is  given  likewise  a  quiet  heart  set  on  God,  and 
therefore  capable  of  finding  water  in  the  desert  and 
extracting  honey  from  the  rock.  The  one  way  is  that 
of  "  young  lions,"  who,  for  all  their  claws  and  strength, 
"  do  lack  and  suffer  hunger " ;  the  other  is  that  of 
"  thetn  that  seek  the  Lord,"  who  "  shall  not  want  any 
good." 


PSALM    CXXVIII. 

1  Happy  is  every  one  tliat  fears  Jehovah, 
That  walks  in  His  ways. 

2  The  labour  of  thy  hands  shalt  thou  surely  eat, — 
Happy  art  thou,  and  it  is  well  with  thee. 

3  Thy  wife  [shall  be]  like  a  fruitful  vine  in  the  inmost 

chambers  of  thy  house. 
Thy  children  like  young  olive  plants  round  thy  table. 

4  Behold,  that  thus  shall  the  man  be  blessed 
Who  fears  Jehovah. 

5  Jehovah  bless  thee  out  of  Zion  1 

And  mayest  thou  look  on  the  prosperity  of  Jerusalem 
All  the  days  of  thy  life, 

6  And  sec  children  to  thy  children  ! 
Peace  be  upon  Israel ! 

THE  preceding  psalm  traced  all  prosperity  and 
domestic  felicity  to  God's  giving  hand.  It  painted 
in  its  close  the  picture  of  a  father  surrounded  by  his 
sons  able  to  defend  him.  This  psalm  presents  the 
same  blessings  as  the  result  of  a  devout  life,  in  which 
the  fear  of  Jehovah  leads  to  obedience  and  diligence 
in  labour.  It  presents  the  inner  side  of  domestic 
happiness.  It  thus  doubly  supplements  the  former, 
lest  any  should  think  that  God's  gift  superseded  man's 
work,  or  that  the  only  blessedness  of  fatherhood  was 
that  it  supplied  a  corps  of  sturdy  defenders.  The  first 
four  verses  describe  the  peaceful,  happy  life  of  the 
God-fearing  man,  and  the  last  two  invoke  on  him 
the  blessing  which  alone  makes  such  a  life  his.     Blended 

327 


328  THE  PSALMS 


with  the  sweet  domesticity  of  the  psalm  is  glowing  love 
for  Zion,  However  blessed  the  home,  it  is  not  to 
weaken  the  sense  of  belonging  to  the  nation. 

No  purer,  fairer  idyll  was  ever  penned  than  this 
miniature  picture  of  a  happy  home  life.  But  its  calm, 
simple  beauty  has  deep  foundations.  The  poet  sets 
forth  the  basis  of  all  noble,  as  of  all  tranquil,  life  when 
he  begins  with  the  fear  of  Jehovah,  and  thence  advances 
to  practical  conformity  with  His  will,  manifested  by 
walking  in  the  paths  which  He  traces  for  men.  Thence 
the  transition  is  easy  to  the  mention  of  diligent  labour, 
and  the  singer  is  sure  that  such  toil  done  on  such 
principles  and  from  such  a  motive  cannot  go  unblessed. 
Outward  prosperity  does  not  follow  good  men's  work 
so  surely  as  the  letter  of  the  psalm  teaches,  but  the 
best  fruits  of  such  work  are  not  those  which  can  be 
stored  in  barns  or  enjoyed  by  sense  ;  and  the  labourer 
who  does  his  work  "  heartily,  as  to  the  Lord,"  will 
certainly  reap  a  harvest  in  character  and  power  and 
communion  with  God,  whatever  transitory  gain  may  be 
attained  or  missed. 

The  sweet  little  sketch  of  a  jo3'ous  home  in  vcr.  3 
is  touched  with  true  grace  and  feeling.  The  wife  is 
happy  in  her  motherhood,  and  ready,  in  the  inner 
chambers  (literally  sides)  of  the  house,  where  she  does 
her  share  of  work,  to  welcome  her  husband  returning 
from  the  field.  The  family  gathers  for  the  meal  won 
and  sweetened  by  his  toil ;  the  children  are  in  vigorous 
health,  and  growing  up  like  young  "  layered  "  olive 
plants.  It  may  be  noted  that  this  verse  exhibits  a 
home  in  the  earlier  stages  of  married  life,  and  reflects 
the  happy  hopes  associated  with  youthful  children,  all 
still  gathered  under  the  father's  roof;  while,  in  the 
latter  part  of  tiie  psalm,  a  later  stage  is  in  view,  when 


cxxviii.]  THE  PSALMS  329 

the  father  sits  as  a  spectator  rather  than  a  worker,  and 
sees  children  born  to  his  children.  Ver.  4  emphatically 
dwells  once  more  on  the  foundation  of  all  as  laid  in  the 
fear  of  Jehovah.  Happy  a  nation  whose  poets  have 
such  ideals  and  sing  of  such  themes  !  How  wide  the 
gulf  separating  this  "  undisturbed  song  "  of  pure  home 
joys  from  the  foul  ideals  which  baser  songs  try  to 
adorn  1  Happy  the  man  whose  ambition  is  bounded 
by  its  limits,  and  whose  life  is 

"  True  to  the  kindred  points  of  heaven  and  home  "  1 

Israel  first  taught  the  world  how  sacred  the  family  is ; 
and  Christianity  recognises  "  a  church  in  the  house  "  of 
every  wedded  pair  whose  love  is  hallowed  by  the  fear 
of  Jehovah. 

In  vv.  5,  6,  petitions  take  the  place  of  assurances, 
for  the  singer  knows  that  none  of  the  good  which 
he  has  been  promising  will  come  without  that  blessing 
of  which  the  preceding  psalm  had  spoken.  All  the 
beautiful  and  calm  joys  just  described  must  flow  from 
God,  and  be  communicated  from  that  place  which  is  the 
seat  of  His  self-revelation.  The  word  rendered  above 
"  maycst  thou  look  "  is  in  the  imperative  form,  which 
seems  here  to  be  intended  to  blend  promise,  wish,  and 
command.  It  is  the  duty  of  the  happiest  husband  and 
father  not  to  let  himself  be  so  absorbed  in  the  sweets 
of  home  as  to  have  his  heart  beat  languidly  for  the 
public  weal.  The  subtle  selfishness  which  is  but  too 
commonly  the  accompaniment  of  such  blessings  is  to 
be  resisted.  From  his  cheerful  hearth  the  eyes  of  a 
lover  of  Zion  are  to  look  out,  and  be  gladdened  when 
they  see  prosperity  smiling  on  Zion.  Many  a  Christian 
is  so  happy  in  his  household  that  his  duties  to  the 
Church,  the  nation,  and  the  world  are  neglected.     This 


330  THE  PSALMS 


ancient  singer  had  a  truer  conception  of  the  obligations 
flowing  from  personal  and  domestic  blessings.  He 
teaches  us  that  it  is  not  enough  to  "  see  children's 
children,"  unless  we  have  eyes  to  look  for  the  prosperity 
of  Jerusalem,  and  tongues  which  pray  not  only  for 
those  in  our  homes,  but  for  "  peace  upon  Israel." 


PSALM    CXXIX. 

1  Sorely  have  they  oppressed  mc  from  iny  youth, 
Let  Israel  now  say, 

2  Sorely  have  they  oppressed  mc  from  my  youth. 
But  they  have  not  also  prevailed  against  me. 

3  On  my  back  the  ploughers  ploughed, 
They  made  their  furrows  long. 

4  Jehovah  the  righteoue 

Has  cut  the  cord  of  the  wicked. 

5  Let  them  be  shamed  and  turned  back, 
All  they  who  hate  Zion. 

6  Let  them  be  as  the  grass  of  the  housetops. 
Which,  before  it  shoots  forth,  withers  : 

7  With  which  the  mower  fills  not  his  hand, 
Nor  the  sheaf-binder  his  bosom  ; 

8  And  the  passers-by  say  not, 

"  The  blessing  of  Jehovah  be  to  you  !  " 
"  We  bless  you  in  the  name  of  Jehovah  !  " 

THE  point  of  view  here  is  the  same  as  in  Psalm 
cxxiv.,  with  which  the  present  psalm  has  much 
similarity  both  in  subject  and  in  expression.  It  is  a 
retrospect  of  Israel's  past,  in  which  the  poet  sees  a  uni- 
form exemplification  of  two  standing  facts — sore  afflic- 
tion and  wonderful  deliverance.  The  bush  burned,  ncc 
tamen  consumchatur.  "  Cast  down,  but  not  destroyed," 
is  the  summary  of  the  Church's  history.  No  doubt 
the  recent  deliverance  from  captivity  underlies  this,  as 
most  of  the  pilgrim  psalms.  The  second  part  (vv.  5-8) 
blends  confidence  and  wish,  founded  on  the  experience 
recorded  in  the  first  part,  and  prophesies  and  desires 


THE  PSALMS 


the  overthrow  of  Israel's  foes.  The  right  use  of  retro- 
spect is  to  make  it  the  ground  of  hope.  They  who 
have  passed  unscathed  through  such  afflictions  may 
well  be  sure  that  any  to-morrow  shall  be  as  the 
yesterdays  were,  and  that  all  future  assaults  will  fail 
as  all  past  ones  have  failed. 

The  words  which  Israel  is  called  upon  to  say  twice 
with  triumphant  remembrance  are  the  motto  of  the 
Ecclesia  pressa  in  all  ages.  Ever  there  is  antagonism  ; 
never  is  there  overthrow.  Israel's  "  youth  "  was  far 
back  in  the  days  of  Egyptian  bondage  ;  and  many  an 
affliction  has  he  since  met,  but  he  lives  still,  and  his 
existence  proves  that  "  they  have  not  prevailed  against " 
him.  Therefore  the  backward  look  is  gladsome,  though 
it  sees  so  many  trials.  Survived  sorrows  y\e\d  joy  and 
hope,  as  gashes  in  trees  exude  precious  gums. 

Ver.  3  expresses  Israel's  oppressions  by  a  strong 
metaphor,  in  which  two  figures  are  blended — a  slave 
under  the  lash,  and  a  field  furrowed  by  ploughing. 
Cruel  lords  had  laid  on  the  whip,  till  the  victim's  back 
was  scored  with  long  wounds,  straight  and  parallel,  like 
the  work  of  a  ploughman.  The  Divine  deliverance 
follows  in  ver.  4.  The  first  words  of  the  verse  do  not 
stand  in  the  usual  order,  if  rendered  "  Jehovah  is 
righteous,"  and  are  probably  to  be  taken  as  above ; 
"  righteous  "  standing  in  apposition  to  "  Jehovah,"  and 
expressing  the  Divine  characteristic  which  guaranteed 
and,  in  due  time,  accomplished  Israel's  deliverance. 
God  could  not  but  be  true  to  His  covenant  obligations. 
Therefore  lie  cut  the  "cord  of  the  wicked."  The 
figure  is  here  changed  to  one  occasioned  by  the  former. 
Israel  is  now  the  draught  ox  harnessed  to  the  plough  ; 
and  thus  both  sides  of  his  bondage  arc  expressed — cruel 
treatment  by  the  former,  and  hard  toil   by  the  latter, 


cxxix.]  THE   PSALMS  333 

figure.  The  same  act  which,  in  the  parallel  124th 
Psalm,  is  described  as  breaking  the  fowler's  snare,  is  in 
view  here ;  and  the  restoration  from  Babylon  suits  the 
circumstances  completely. 

The  story  of  past  futile  attempts  against  Israel 
animates  the  confidence  and  vindicates  the  \vish 
breathed  in  the  latter  half  of  the  psalm.  To  hate  Zion, 
which  Jehovah  so  manifestly  loves  and  guards,  must  be 
suicidal.  It  is  something  far  nobler  than  selfish  venge- 
ance which  desires  and  foresees  the  certain  failure  of 
attempts  against  it.  The  psalmist  is  still  under  the 
influence  of  his  earlier  metaphor  of  the  ploughed  field, 
but  now  has  come  to  think  of  the  harvest.  The  graphic 
image  of  the  grass  on  flat  housetops  of  clay,  which 
springs  quickly  because  it  has  no  depth  of  earth,  and 
withers  as  it  springs,  vividly  describes  the  short-lived 
success  and  rapid  extinction  of  plots  against  Zion  and 
of  the  plotters.  The  word  rendered  above  "  shoots 
forth  "  is  by  some  translated  "  is  plucked  up,"  and  that 
meaning  is  defensible,  but  grass  on  the  housetops 
would  scarcely  be  worth  plucking,  and  the  word  is 
used  elsewhere  for  unsheathing  a  sword.  It  may, 
therefore,  be  taken  here  to  refer  to  the  shooting  out  of 
the  spikelets  from  their  covering.  The  psalmist  dilates 
upon  his  metaphor  in  vcr.  7,  which  expresses  the  fruit- 
lessness  of  assaults  on  God's  chosen.  No  harvest  is 
to  be  reaped  from  such  sowing.  The  enemies  may  plot 
and  toil,  and  before  their  plans  have  had  time  to  bud 
they  are  smitten  into  brown  dust ;  and  when  the  con- 
trivers come  expecting  success,  there  is  nothing  to  mow 
or  gather.  "  They  look  for  much,  and  behold  little." 
So  it  has  been  ;  so  it  shall  be  ;  so  it  should  be  ;  so  may 
it  be,  wishes  the  psalmist ;  and  true  hearts  will  say 
Amen  to  his  aspiration. 


334  THE  PSALMS 


Such  reapers  have  no  joy  in  harvest,  and  no  man 
can  invoke  Jehovah's  blessing  on  their  bad  work. 
Ver.  8  brings  up  a  lovely  little  picture  of  a  harvest 
field,  where  passers-by  shout  their  good  wishes  to  the 
glad  toilers,  and  are  answered  by  these  with  like  salu- 
tations. It  is  doubtful  whether  ver.  8  c:  is  spoken  by 
by  the  passers-by  or  is  the  reapers'  responsive  greeting. 
The  latter  explanation  gives  animation  to  the  scene. 
But  in  any  case  the  verse  suggests  by  contrast  the 
gloomy  silence  of  Israel's  would-be  destroyers,  who 
find,  as  all  who  set  themselves  against  Jehovah's 
purposes  do  find,  that  He  blasts  their  plans  with  His 
hearth,  and  makes  their  **  harvest  an  heap  in  the  day 
of  grief  and  desperate  sorrow." 


PSALM   CXXX. 

1  Out  of  the  depths  have  I  cried  to  Thee,  Jehovah. 

2  Lord,  hearken  to  my  voice. 
Be  Thine  ears  attent 

To  the  voice  of  my  supplications. 

3  If  Thou,  Jah,  shouldest  mark  iniquities, 
Lord,  who  could  stand  ? — 

4  For  with  Thee  is  forgiveness. 
That  Thou  mayest  be  feared. 

5  I  have  waited  for  Jehovah, 
And  in  His  word  have  1  hoped. 

6  My  soul  [hopes]  for  the  Lord 

More  than  watchers  for  the  morning, 
— Watchers  for  the  morning. 

7  Let  Israel  hope  in  Jehovah, 

For  with  Jehovah  is  loving-kindness, 
And  in  abundance  with  Him  is  redemption. 
S  And  He — He  will  redeem  Israel 
From  all  his  iniquities. 

1^  a  very  emphatic  sense  this  is  a  song  of  ascents, 
for  it  chnibs  steadily  from  the  abyss  of  penitence 
to  the  summits  of  hope.  It  falls  into  two  divisions  of 
four  verses  each,  of  which  the  former  breathes  the 
prayer  of  a  soul  penetrated  by  the  consciousness  of 
sin,  and  the  latter  the  peaceful  expectance  of  one  that 
has  tasted  God's  forgiving  mercy.  These  two  parts 
are  again  divided  into  two  groups  of  two  verses,  so 
that  there  are  four  stages  in  the  psalmist's  progress 
from  the  depths  to  the  sunny  heights. 

335 


336  THE  PSALMS 


In  the  first  group  we  have  the  psalmist's  cry.  He 
has  called,  and  still  calls.  He  reiterates  in  ver.  2  the 
prayer  that  he  had  long  offered  and  still  presents.  It 
is  not  only  quotation,  but  is  the  cry  of  present  need. 
What  are  these  "  depths  "  from  which  his  voice  sounds, 
as  that  of  a  man  fallen  into  a  pit  and  sending  up  a  faint 
call  ?  The  expression  does  not  merely  refer  to  his 
creatural  lowliness,  nor  even  to  his  troubles,  nor  even 
to  his  depression  of  spirit.  There  are  deeper  pits  than 
these — those  into  which  the  spirit  feels  itself  going 
down,  sick  and  giddy,  when  it  realises  its  sinfulness. 
Unless  a  man  has  been  down  in  that  black  abyss,  he 
has  scarcely  cried  to  God  as  he  should  do.  The  begin- 
ning of  true  personal  religion  is  the  sense  of  personal 
sin.  A  slight  conception  of  the  gravity  of  that  fact 
underlies  inadequate  conceptions  of  Christ's  nature  and 
work,  and  is  the  mother  of  heresies  in  creed  and  super- 
ficialities and  deadnesses  in  practice.  A  religion  that 
sits  lightly  upon  its  professor,  impelling  to  no  acts  of 
devotion,  flashing  out  in  no  heroisms,  rising  to  no 
heights  of  communion — that  is  to  say,  the  average 
Christianity  of  great  masses  of  so-called  Christians — 
bears  proof,  in  its  languor,  that  the  man  knows  nothing 
about  the  depths,  and  has  never  cried  to  God  from 
them.  Further,  if  out  of  the  depths  we  cry,  we  shall 
cry  ourselves  out  of  the  depths.  What  can  a  man  do 
who  finds  himself  at  the  foot  of  a  beetling  cliff,  the  sea 
in  front,  the  wall  of  rock  at  his  back,  without  foothold 
for  a  mouse,  between  the  tide  at  the  bottom  and  the 
grass  at  the  top  ?  He  can  do  but  one  thing  :  he  can 
shout,  and  perhaps  may  be  heard,  and  a  rope  may 
come  dangling  down  that  he  can  spring  at  and  clutch. 
For  sinful  men  in  the  miry  pit  the  rope  is  already  let 
down,   and   their  grasping   it   is  the   same  act  as   the 


cxxx.]  THE  PSALMS  337 


psalmist's  cry.  God  has  let  down  His  forgiving  love 
in  Christ,  and  we  need  but  the  faith  which  accepts 
while  it  asks,  and  then  we  are  swung  up  into  the  light, 
and  our  feet  set  on  a  rock. 

Vv.  3,  4,  arc  the  second  stage.  A  dark  fear  shadows 
the  singer's  soul,  and  is  swept  away  by  a  joyful  assur- 
ance. The  word  rendered  above  "  mark  "  is  literally 
keep  or  watch,  as  in  vcr.  6,  and  here  seems  to  mean  to 
take  account  of,  or  retain  in  remembrance,  in  order  to 
punish.  If  God  should  take  man's  sin  into  account 
in  His  dispositions  and  dealings,  "  O  Lord,  who  shall 
stand  ?  "  No  man  could  sustain  that  righteous  judg- 
ment. He  must  go  down  before  it  like  a  flimsy  hut 
before  a  whirlwind,  or  a  weak  enemy  before  a  fierce 
charge.  That  thought  comes  to  the  psalmist  like  a 
blast  of  icy  air  from  the  north,  and  threatens  to  chill 
his  hope  to  death  and  to  blow  his  cry  back  into  his 
throat.  But  its  very  hypothetical  form  holds  a  negation 
concealed  in  it.  Such  an  implied  negative  is  needed 
in  order  to  explain  the  **  for "  of  vcr.  4.  The  singer 
springs,  as  it  were,  to  that  confidence  by  a  rebound 
from  the  other  darker  thought.  We  must  have  trem- 
blingly entertained  the  contrary  dread  possibility, 
before  we  can  experience  the  relief  and  gladness  of 
its  counter-truth.  The  word  rendered  "  forgiveness  " 
is  a  late  form,  being  found  only  in  two  other  late 
passages  (Neh.  ix.  17  ;  Dan.  ix.  9).  It  literally  means 
cutting  ojff\  and  so  suggests  the  merciful  surgery  by 
which  the  cancerous  tumour  is  taken  out  of  the  soul. 
Such  forgiveness  is  "  with  God,"  inherent  in  His  nature. 
And  that  forgiveness  Hes  at  the  root  of  true  godliness. 
No  man  reverences,  loves,  and  draws  near  to  God  so 
rapturously  and  so  humbly  as  he  who  has  made  experi- 
ence of  His  pardoning  mercy,  lifting  a  soul  from  its 

VOL.  III.  22 


33S  THE  PSALMS 


abysses  of  sin  and  misery.  Therefore  the  psahnist, 
taught  by  what  pardon  has  done  for  him  in  drawing 
him  lovingly  near  to  God,  declares  that  its  great  purpose 
is  "  that  Thou  mayest  be  feared,"  and  that  not  only 
by  the  recipient,  but  by  beholders.  Strangely  enough, 
many  commentators  have  found  a  difficulty  in  this  idea, 
which  seems  sun-clear  to  those  whose  own  history 
explains  it  to  them.  Gratz,  for  instance,  calls  it  "  com- 
pletely unintelligible."  It  has  been  very  intelligible 
to  many  a  penitent  who  has  been  by  pardon  trans- 
formed into  a  reverent  lover  of  God. 

The  next  stage  in  the  ascent  from  the  depths  is  in 
vv.  5,  6,  which  breathe  peaceful,  patient  hope.  It  may 
be  doubtful  whether  the  psalmist  means  to  represent 
that  attitude  of  expectance  as  prior  to  and  securing 
forgiveness  or  as  consequent  upon  it.  The  latter  seems 
the  more  probable.  A  soul  which  has  received  God's 
forgiveness  is  thereby  led  into  tranquil,  continuous, 
ever-rewarded  waiting  on  Him,  and  hope  of  new  gifts 
springs  ever  fresh  in  it.  Such  a  soul  sits  quietly  at 
His  feet,  trusting  to  His  love,  and  looking  for  light  and 
all  else  needed,  to  flow  from  Him.  The  singleness  of 
the  object  of  devout  hope,  the  yearning  which  is  not 
impatience,  characterising  that  hope  at  its  noblest,  are 
beautifully  painted  in  the  simile  of  the  watchers  for 
morning.  As  they  who  have  outwatched  the  long 
night  look  eagerly  to  the  flush  that  creeps  up  in  the 
east,  telling  that  their  vigil  is  past,  and  heralding  the 
stir  and  life  of  a  new  day  with  its  wakening  birds  and 
fresh  morning  airs,  so  this  singer's  eyes  had  turned  to 
God,  and  to  Him  only.  Vcr.  6  does  not  absolutely 
require  the  supplement  "  hopes."  It  may  read  simply 
"  My  soul  is  towards  Jehovah " ;  and  that  translation 
gives  still   more   emphatically  the  notion   of  complete 


cxxx.]  THE  PSALMS  339 

turning  of  the  whole  being  to  God.  Consciousness 
of  sin  was  as  a  dark  night ;  forgiveness  flushed  the 
Eastern  heaven  with  prophetic  twihght.  So  the  psalmist 
waits  for  the  light,  and  his  soul  is  one  aspiration 
towards  God. 

In  vv.  7,  8,  the  psalmist  becomes  an  evangelist, 
inviting  Israel  to  unite  in  his  hope,  that  they  may  share 
in  his  pardon.  In  the  depths  he  was  alone,  and  felt 
as  if  the  only  beings  in  the  universe  were  God  and 
himself.  The  consciousness  of  sin  isolates,  and  the 
sense  of  forgiveness  unites.  Whoever  has  known  that 
**  with  Jehovah  is  pardon  "  is  impelled  thereby  to  invite 
others  to  learn  the  same  lesson  in  the  same  sweet  way. 
The  psalmist  has  a  broad  gospel  to  preach,  the  general- 
isation of  his  own  history.  He  had  said  in  ver.  4  that 
"  with  Jehovah  is  forgiveness "  (lit.  the  forgiveness, 
possibly  meaning  the  needed  forgiveness),  and  he  thereby 
had  animated  his  own  hope.  Now  he  repeats  the  form 
of  expression,  only  that  he  substitutes  for  **  forgiveness  " 
the  loving-kindness  which  is  its  spring,  and  the  redemp- 
tion which  is  its  result ;  and  these  he  presses  upon  his 
fellows  as  reasons  and  encouragements  for  their  hope. 
It  is  "  abundant  redemption,"  or  "  multiplied,"  as  the 
word  might  be  rendered.  "  Seventy  times  seven  " — 
the  perfect  numbers  seven  and  ten  being  multiplied 
together  and  their  sum  increased  sevenfold — make  a 
numerical  symbol  for  the  unfailing  pardons  which  we 
are  to  bestow ;  and  the  sum  of  the  Divine  pardon  is 
surely  greater  than  that  of  the  human.  God's  forgiving 
grace  is  mightier  than  all  sins,  and  able  to  conquer 
them  all. 

"  He  will  redeem  Israel  from  all  his  iniquities  "  ;  not 
only  from  their  consequences  in  punishment,  but  from 
their    power,    as    well   as    from    their   guilt    and    their 


340  THE  PSALMS 


penalty.  —The  psalmist  means  something  a  great  deal 
deeper  than  deliverance  from  calamities  which  con- 
science declared  to  be  the  chastisement  of  sin.  He 
speaks  New  Testament  language.  He  was  sure  that 
God  would  redeem  from  all  iniquity  ;  but  he  lived  in  the 
twilight  dawn,  and  had  to  watch  for  the  morning.  The 
sun  is  risen  for  us ;  but  the  light  is  the  same  in  quality, 
though  more  in  degree  :  "  Thou  shalt  call  His  name 
Jesus,  for  He  shall  save  His  people  from  their  sins." 


PSALM  CXXXI.' 

1  Jehovah,  not  haughty  is  my  heart, 
And  not  lofty  are  mine  eyes ; 
And  I  go  not  into  great  things. 
Nor  things  too  wonderful  for  me. 

2  I  have  calmed  and  quieted  my  soul, 
Like  a  weaned  child  with  its  mother, 
Like  the  weaned  child  is  my  soul  with  me. 

3  Let  Israel  hope  in  Jehovah, 
From  now,  even  for  evermore. 

A  QUIET,  because  self-quieted,  heart  speaks  here 
in  quiet  accents,  not  unlike  the  "crooning"  of 
the  peaceful  child  on  its  mother's  bosom,  to  which  the 
sweet  singer  likens  his  soul.  The  psalm  is  the  most 
perfect  expression  of  the  child-like  spirit,  which,  as 
Christ  has  taught,  is  characteristic  of  the  subjects  of  the 
kingdom  of  heaven.  It  follows  a  psalm  of  penitence, 
in  which  a  contrite  soul  waited  on  Jehovah  for  pardon, 
and,  finding  it,  exhorted  Israel  to  hope  in  His  redemp- 
tion from  all  iniquity.  Consciousness  of  sin  and 
conscious  reception  of  redemption  therefrom  precede 
true  lowliness,  and  such  lowiness  should  follow  such 
consciousness. 

The  psalmist  does  not  pray ;  still  less  does  he  con- 
tradict his  lowliness  in  the  very  act  of  declaring  it,  by 
pluming  himself  on  it.  He  speaks  in  that  serene  and 
happy  mood,  sometimes  granted  to  lowly  souls,  when 
fruition    is   more    present   than    desire,   and   the   child, 

341 


342  THE  PSALMS 


folded  to  the  Divine  heart,  feels  its  blessedness  so 
satisfyingly  that  fears  and  hopes,  wishes  and  dreams, 
are  still.  Simple  words  best  speak  tranquil  joys.  One 
note  only  is  sounded  in  this  psalm,  which  might  almost 
be  called  a  lullaby.  How  many  hearts  it  has  helped 
to  hush  ! 

The  haughtiness  which  the  psalmist  disclaims  has 
its  seat  in  the  heart  and  its  manifestation  in  supercilious 
glances.  The  lowly  heart  looks  higher  than  the  proud 
one  does,  for  it  lifts  its  eyes  to  the  hills,  and  fixes  them 
on  Jehovah,  as  a  slave  on  his  lord.  Lofty  thoughts  of 
self  naturally  breed  ambitions  which  seek  great  spheres 
and  would  intermeddle  with  things  above  reach.  The 
singer  does  not  refer  to  questions  beyond  solution  by 
human  faculty,  but  to  worldly  ambitions  aiming  at 
prominence  and  position.  He  aims  low,  as  far  as  earth 
is  concerned  ;  but  he  aims  high,  for  his  mark  is  in  the 
heavens. 

Shaking  off  such  ambitions  and  loftiness  of  spirit, 
he  has  found  repose,  as  all  do  who  clear  their  hearts 
of  that  perilous  stuff.  But  it  is  to  be  noted  that  the 
calm  which  he  enjoys  is  the  fruit  of  his  own  self- 
control,  by  which  his  dominant  self  has  smoothed  and 
stilled  the  sensitive  nature  with  its  desires  and  pas- 
sions. It  is  not  the  tranquillity  of  a  calm  nature  which 
speaks  here,  but  that  into  which  the  speaker  has 
entered,  by  vigorous  mastery  of  disturbing  elements. 
How  hard  the  struggle  had  been,  how  much  bitter 
crying  and  petulant  resistance  there  had  been  before  the 
calm  was  won,  is  told  by  the  lovely  image  of  the  weaned 
child.  While  being  weaned  it  sobs  and  struggles,  and 
all  its  little  life  is  perturbed.  So  no  man  comes  to 
have  a  quiet  heart  without  much  resolute  self-suppres- 
sion.     But  the  figure  tells  of  ultimate  repose,  even  more 


cxxxi.]  THE  PSALMS  343 

plainly  than  of  preceding  struggle.  For,  once  the 
process  is  accomplished,  the  child  nestles  satisfied  on 
the  mother's  warm  bosom,  and  wishes  nothing  more 
than  to  lie  there.  So  the  man  who  has  manfully 
taken  in  hand  his  own  weaker  and  more  yearning 
nature,  and  directed  its  desires  away  from  earth  by 
fixing  them  on  God,  is  freed  from  the  misery  of  hot 
desire,  and  passes  into  calm.  He  that  ceases  from  his 
own  works  enters  into  rest.  If  a  man  thus  compels 
his  "  soul "  to  cease  its  cravings  for  what  earth  can 
give,  he  will  have  to  disregard  its  struggles  and  cries, 
but  these  will  give  place  to  quietness ;  and  the  fruition 
of  the  blessedness  of  setting  all  desires  on  God  will 
be  the  best  defence  against  the  recurrence  of  longings 
once  silenced. 

The  psalmist  would  fain  have  all  Israel  share  in  his 
quietness  of  heart,  and  closes  his  tender  snatch  of  song 
with  a  call  to  them  to  hope  in  Jehovah,  whereby  they, 
too,  may  enter  into  peace.  The  preceding  psalm 
ended  with  the  same  call ;  but  there  God's  mercy  in 
dealing  with  sin  was  principally  in  question,  while  here 
His  sufficiency  for  all  a  soul's  wants  is  implied.  The 
one  secret  of  forgiveness  and  deliverance  from  iniquity 
is  also  the  secret  of  rest  from  tyrannous  longings  and 
disturbing  desires.  Hope  in  Jehovah  brings  pardon, 
purity,  and  peace. 


PSALM    CXXXII. 

1  Remember,  Jehovah,  to  David 
All  the  pains  he  took 

2  Who  swore  to  Jehovah, 

[And]  vowed  to  the  Mighty  One  of  Jacob, 

3  "  I  will  not  go  into  the  tent  of  my  house, 
I  will  not  go  up  to  the  bed  of  my  couch, 

4  I  will  not  give  sleep  to  mine  ej'cs. 
To  mine  eyelids  slumber, 

5  Till  I  find  a  place  for  Jehovah, 

A  habitation  for  the  Mighty  One  of  Jacob." 

6  Behold,  we  heard  [of]  it  at  Ephrathah, 
We  found  it  in  the  Fields  of  the  Wood, 

7  Let  us  come  to  His  habitation, 

Let  us  bow  ourselves  at  His  footstool. 

8  Arise,  Jehovah,  to  Thy  rest. 
Thou  and  the  Ark  of  Thy  strength. 

9  Let  Thy  priests  be  clothed  with  righteousness. 
And  Thy  favoured  ones  utter  shrill  cries  of  jo}'. 

10  For  the  sake  of  David  Thy  servant. 

Turn  not  away  the  face  of  Thine  anointed. 

1 1  Jehovah  has  sworn  to  David, 

It  is  truth — He  will  not  go  back  from  it — 

"  Of  the  fruit  of  thy  body  will  I  set  on  thy  throne. 

12  If  thy  sons  keep  My  covenant 

And  My  testimonies  which  I  will  teach  them, 
Their  sons  also  for  over  and  aye 
Shall  sit  on  thy  throne." 

13  For  Jehovah  has  chosen  Zion, 

He  has  desired  it  for  His  dwelling. 

14  "This  is  My  rest  for  ever  and  aye, 
Here  will  I  abide,  for  I  have  desired  it. 

344 


cxxxii.]  THE  PSALMS  345 

15  Her  provision  blessing  I  will  bless, 
Her  poor  will  I  satisfy  with  bread. 

16  Her  priests  also  will  I  clothe  with  salvation, 

And  her  favoured  ones  uttering  will  utter  shrill  cries  of  joj'. 

17  There  will  I  cause  a  horn  to  sprout  for  David, 
I  have  trimmed  a  lamp  for  Mine  anointed. 

18  His  enemies  will  I  clothe  with  shame, 
But  upon  himself  shall  his  crown  glitter," 

THE  continuance  of  "  the  sure  mercies  of  David  " 
to  his  descendants  for  his  sake  is  first  besought 
from  God,  and  is  then  promised,  for  his  sake,  by  God 
Himself,  speaking  in  the  singer's  spirit.  The  special 
blessing  sought  for  is  Jehovah's  dwelling  in  His  house, 
which  is  here  contemplated  as  reared  after  long  toil. 
Expositors  differ,  as  usual,  in  regard  to  the  date  and 
occasion  of  this  psalm.  Its  place  among  the  pilgrim 
psalms  raises  a  presumption  in  favour  of  a  post-exilic 
date,  and  one  class  of  commentators  refers  it  confidently 
to  the  period  of  the  rebuilding  of  the  Temple.  But  the 
mention  of  the  Ark  (which  disappeared  after  the  de- 
struction of  Solomon's  Temple)  can  be  reconciled  with 
that  supposed  date  only  by  a  somewhat  violent  ex- 
pedient. Nor  is  it  easy  to  suppose  that  the  repeated 
references  to  David's  descendants  as  reigning  in 
accordance  with  God's  promise  could  have  been  written 
at  a  time  when  there  was  no  king  in  Israel.  Zerubbabel 
has,  indeed,  been  suggested  as  "  the  anointed  "  of  this 
psalm  ;  but  he  was  not  king,  and  neither  in  fact  nor  in 
idea  was  he  anointed.  And  could  a  singer  in  Israel, 
in  the  post-exilic  period,  have  recalled  the  ancient 
promises  without  some  passing  sigh  for  their  apparent 
falsification  in  the  present  ?  Psalm  Ixxxix.  is  often 
referred  to  as  the  "  twin  "  of  this  psalm.  Its  wailings 
over  the  vanished  glories  of  the  Davidic  monarchy 
have  nothing  corresponding  to  them  here.     These  con- 


346  THE  PSALMS 


siderations  are  against  a  post-exilic  date,  for  which  the 
chief  argument  is  the  inclusion  of  the  psalm  in  the 
collection  of  pilgrim  songs. 

If,  on  the  other  hand,  we  disregard  its  place  in  the 
Psalter  and  look  at  its  contents,  it  must  be  admitted 
that  they  perfectly  harmonise  with  the  supposition  that 
its  occasion  was  the  completion  of  Solomon's  Temple. 
The  remembrance  of  David's  long-cherished  purpose 
to  build  the  House,  of  the  many  wanderings  of  the 
Ark,  the  glad  summons  to  enter  the  courts  to  worship, 
the  Divine  promises  to  David,  which  were  connected 
with  his  design  of  building  a  Temple,  all  fit  in  with 
this  view  of  the  occasion  of  the  psalm.  Singularly 
enough,  some  advocates  of  later  dates  than  even  the 
building  of  the  second  Temple  catch  in  the  psalm  tones 
of  depression,  and  see  indications  of  its  having  been 
written  when  the  glowing  promises  which  it  quotes 
appeared  to  have  failed.  It  is  not  in  reference  to 
"  Nature  "  only  that  "  we  receive  but  what  we  give." 
To  other  ears,  with  perhaps  equal  though  opposite  bias, 
glad  confidence  in  a  promise,  of  which  the  incipient 
fulfilment  was  being  experienced,  sounds  in  the  psalm. 
To  some  it  is  plain  that  it  was  written  when  Ark  and  king 
had  been  swept  away ;  to  others  it  is  equally  clear  that 
it  presupposes  the  existence  of  both.  The  latter  view 
is  to  the  present  writer  the  more  probable. 

The  psalm  is  not  divided  into  regular  strophes. 
There  is,  however,  a  broad  division  into  two  parts,  of 
which  vv.  i-io  form  the  first,  the  pleading  of  Israel 
with  Jehovah;  and  vv.  11-18  the  second,  the  answer 
of  Jehovah  to  Israel.  The  first  part  is  further  divided 
into  two  :  vv.  1-5  setting  forth  David's  vow;  vv.  6-10 
the  congregation's  glad  summons  to  enter  the  completed 
sanctuary,  and  its  prayer  for   blessings  on    the   wor- 


cxxxii.]  THE  PSALMS  347 

shipping  nation  with  its  priests  and  king.  The  second 
part  is  Jehovah's  renewed  promises,  which  take  up  and 
surpass  the  people's  prayer.  It  is  broken  by  a  single 
verse  (13),  which  is  an  interjected  utterance  of  Israel's. 
"  One  remembers  anything  to  another,  when  one 
requites  him  for  what  he  has  done,  or  when  one  per- 
forms for  him  what  one  has  promised  him  "  (Delitzsch). 
David's  earnest  longing  to  find  a  fixed  place  for  the 
Ark,  his  long-continued  and  generous  amassing  ot 
treasure  for  the  purpose  of  building  the  Temple,  are 
regarded  as  a  plea  with  God.  The  solidarity  of  the 
family,  which  was  so  vividly  realised  in  old  times, 
reaches  its  highest  expression  in  the  thought  that 
blessings  to  David's  descendants  are  as  if  given  to 
him,  sleeping  in  the  royal  tomb.  Beautifully  and 
humbly  the  singer,  as  representing  the  nation,  has 
nothing  to  say  of  the  toil  of  the  actual  builders.  Not 
the  hand  which  executes,  but  the  heart  and  mind  which 
conceived  and  cherished  the  plan,  are  its  true  author. 
The  psalmist  gives  a  poetic  version  of  David's  words 
in  2  Sam.  vii.  2.  "  See  now,  I  dwell  in  an  house  of 
cedar,  but  the  Ark  of  God  dwelleth  in  curtains,"  contains 
in  germ  all  which  the  psalmist  here  draws  out  of  it. 
He,  the  aged  king,  was  almost  ashamed  of  his  own 
ease.  "  God  gave  him  rest  from  his  enemies,"  but  he 
will  not  "  give  sleep  to  his  eyes "  till  he  finds  out  a 
place  for  Jehovah.  Wearied  with  a  stormy  life,  he 
might  well  have  left  it  to  others  to  care  for  the  work 
which  the  prophet  had  told  him  that  he  was  not  to 
be  permitted  to  begin.  But  not  so  does  a  true  man 
reason.  Rather,  he  will  consecrate  to  God  his  leisure 
and  his  old  age,  and  will  rejoice  to  originate  work 
which  he  cannot  hope  to  see  completed,  and  even  to 
gather  materials  which  happier  natures  and  times  may 


348  THE  PSALMS 


turn  to  account.  He  will  put  his  own  comfort  second, 
God's  service  first. 

Such  devotedness  does  make  a  plea  with  God.  The 
psalmist's  prayer  goes  on  that  supposition,  and  God's 
answer  endorses  it  as  valid.  He  does  not  require 
perfect  faithfulness  in  His  servants  ere  He  prospers 
their  work  with  His  smile.  Stained  offerings,  in  which 
much  of  the  leaven  of  earthly  motives  may  be  ferment- 
ing, are  not  therefore  rejected. 

Vv.  6-IO  are  the  petitions  grounded  on  the  pre- 
ceding plea,  and  asking  that  Jehovah  would  dwell  in 
the  sanctuary  and  bless  the  worshippers.  Ver.  6  offers 
great  difficulties.  It  seems  clear,  however,  that  it  and 
the  next  verse  are  to  be  taken  as  very  closely  connected 
(note  the  "  we "  and  "  us "  occurring  in  them  for  the 
only  time  in  the  psalm).  They  seem  to  describe  con- 
tinuous actions,  of  which  the  climax  is  entrance  into 
the  sanctuary.  The  first  question  as  to  ver.  6  is  what 
the  "  it "  is,  which  is  spoken  of  in  both  clauses  ;  and 
the  most  natural  answer  is — the  Ark,  alluded  to  here 
by  anticipation,  though  not  mentioned  till  ver.  8.  The 
irregularity  is  slight  and  not  unexampled.  The  inter- 
pretation of  the  verse  mainly  depends  on  the  meaning 
of  the  two  designations  of  locality,  "  Ephrathah  "  and 
"  the  fields  of  the  Wood."  Usually  the  former  is  part 
of  the  name  of  Bethlehem,  but  the  Ark  in  all  its 
wanderings  is  never  said  to  have  been  there.  Most 
probably  Shiloh,  in  which  the  Ark  did  remain  for  a 
time,  is  intended.  But  why  should  Shiloh  be  called 
Ephrathah  ?  The  answer  usually  given,  but  not 
altogether  satisfactory,  is  that  Shiloh  lay  in  the  terri- 
tory of  Ephraim,  and  that  we  have  instances  in  which 
an  Ephraimite  is  called  an  "Ephrathite"  (Judg.  xii.  5  ; 
I  Sam.  i.  I  ;   I   Kings  xi.  26),  and  therefore  it  may  be 


cxxxii.]  THE  PSALMS  349 

presumed  that  the  territory  of  Ephraim  was  called 
Ephrathah.  "  The  fields  of  the  Wood,"  on  the  other 
hand,  is  taken  to  be  a  free  poetic  variation  of  the  name 
of  Kirjath-jearim  (the  city  of  the  woods),  where  the  Ark 
long  lay,  and  whence  it  was  brought  up  to  Jerusalem 
by  David.  In  this  understanding  of  the  verse,  the  two 
places  where  it  remained  longest  are  brought  together, 
and  the  meaning  of  the  whole  verse  is,  "  We  heard  that 
it  lay  long  at  Shiloh,  but  we  found  it  in  Kirjath-jearim." 
Delitzsch,  followed  by  Cheyne,  takes  a  different  view, 
regarding  "  Ephrathah "  as  a  name  for  the  district  in 
which  Kirjath-jearim  lay.  He  founds  this  explanation 
on  the  genealogies  in  i  Chron.  ii.  19,  50,  according  to 
which  Caleb's  wife,  Ephrath,  was  the  mother  of  Hur, 
the  ancestor  of  the  Bethlehemites,  and  whose  son 
Shobal  was  the  ancestor  of  the  people  of  Kirjath-jearim  ; 
Ephrathah  was  thus  a  fitting  name  for  the  whole 
district,  which  included  both  Bethlehem  and  Kirjath- 
jearim.  In  this  understanding  of  the  names,  the  verse 
means,  "  We  heard  that  the  Ark  was  at  Kirjath-jearim, 
and  there  we  found  it." 

Ver.  7  must  be  taken  as  immediately  connected  with 
the  preceding.  If  the  same  persons  who  found  the  Ark 
still  speak,  the  "  tabernacle  "  into  which  they  encourage 
each  other  to  enter  must  be  the  tent  within  which,  as 
David  said,  it  dwelt  "  in  curtains " ;  and  the  joyful 
utterance  of  an  earlier  age  will  then  be  quoted  by  the 
still  happier  generation  who,  at  the  moment  while  they 
sing,  see  the  sacred  symbol  of  the  Divine  Presence 
enshrined  within  the  Holy  Place  of  the  Temple.  At 
all  events,  the  petitions  which  follow  are  most  naturally 
regarded  as  chanted  forth  at  that  supreme  moment, 
though  it  is  possible  that  the  same  feeling  of  the 
solidity  of  the    nation    in    all    generations,    which,    as 


350  THE  PSALMS 


applied  to  the  reigning  family,  is  seen  in  ver.  i,  may 
account  for  the  worshippers  in  the  new  Temple  identify- 
ing themselves  with  the  earlier  ones  who  brought  up 
the  Ark  to  Zion.  The  Church  remains  the  same,  while 
its  individual  members  change. 

The  first   of  the  petitions  is  partly  taken  from  the 
invocation  in  Numb.  x.  35,  when  "  the  Ark  set  forward  "  ; 
but  there  it  was  a  prayer  for  guidance  on  the  march ; 
here,  for  Jehovah's  continuance  in  His  fixed  abode.     It 
had  wandered  far  and  long.     It  had   been  planted  in 
Shiloh,  but  had  deserted  that  sanctuary  which  He  had 
once  loved.     It  had  tarried  for  a  while  at  Mizpeh  and 
at  Bethel.     It  had  been  lost  on  the  field  of  Aphek,  been 
borne   in   triumph   through    Philistine   cities,   and   sent 
back  thence  in  terror.     It  had  lain  for  three  months  in 
the  house  of  Obed-edom,  and   for  twenty  years  been 
hidden  at  Kirjath-jearim.      It  had  been  set  with  glad 
acclaim  in  the  tabernacle  provided  by  David,  and  now 
it  stands  in  the  Temple.     There  may  it  abide  and  go 
no  more  out  I     Solomon  and  Hiram  and  all  their  work- 
men may  have  done  their  best,  and  the  result  of  their 
toils  may  stand  gleaming  in  the  sunlight  in  its  fresh 
beauty;   but  something  more  is  needed.      Not  till  the 
Ark   is  in  the  Shrine   does  the  Glory  fill   the    house. 
The  lesson   is    for  all  ages.      Our   organisations   and 
works  are  incomplete  without  that  quickening  Presence. 
It  will   surely   be   given   if  we  desire  it.     When   His 
Church  prays,   "  Arise,   O  Lord,  into  Thy  rest,  Thou 
and  the  Ark  of  Thy  strength,"  His  answer  is  swift  and 
sure,  "  Lo,  I  am  with  you  always." 

From  this  petition  all  the  others  flow.  If  "  the  Ark 
of  Thy  strength "  dwells  with  us,  we  too  shall  be 
strong,  and  have  that  Might  for  our  inspiration  as  well 
as    our    shield.       "Let    Thy    priests    be   clothed    with 


cxxxii.]  THE  PSALMS  351 

righteousness."  The  pure  vestments  of  the  priests 
were  symbols  of  stainless  character,  befitting  the 
ministers  of  a  holy  God.  The  psalmist  prays  that 
the  symbol  may  truly  represent  the  inner  reality.  He 
distinguishes  between  priests  and  the  mass  of  the 
people ;  but  in  the  Church  to-day,  as  indeed  in  the 
original  constitution  of  Israel,  all  are  priests,  and  must 
be  clothed  in  a  righteousness  which  they  receive  from 
above.  They  do  not  weave  that  robe,  but  they  must 
"  put  on "  the  garment  which  Christ  gives  them. 
Righteousness  is  no  hazy,  theological  virtue,  having 
little  to  do  with  every-day  life  and  small  resemblance 
to  secular  morality.  To  be  good,  gentle,  and  just,  self- 
forgetting  and  self-ruling,  to  practise  the  virtues  which 
all  men  call  "  lovely  and  of  good  report,"  and  to  conse- 
crate them  all  by  reference  to  Him  in  whom  they  dwell 
united  and  complete,  is  to  be  righteous ;  and  that 
righteousness  is  the  garb  required  of,  and  given  by 
God  to,  all  those  who  seek  it  and  minister  in  His 
Temple. 

"  Let  Thy  favoured  ones  utter  shrill  cries  of  joy." 
Surely,  if  they  dwell  in  the  Temple,  gladness  will  not 
fail  them.  True  religion  is  joyful.  If  a  man  has  only 
to  lift  his  eyes  to  see  the  Ark,  what  but  averted  eyes 
should  make  him  sad  ?  True,  there  are  enemies,  but 
we  are  close  to  the  fountain  of  strength.  True,  there 
are  sins,  but  we  can  receive  the  garment  of  righteous- 
ness. True,  there  are  wants,  but  the  sacrifice  whereof 
"  the  meek  shall  eat  and  be  satisfied "  is  at  hand. 
There  is  much  unreached  as  yet,  but  there  is  a  present 
God.  So  we  may  "  walk  all  the  day  in  the  light  of  His 
countenance,"  and  realise  the  truth  of  the  paradox  of 
always  rejoicing,  though  sometimes  we  sorrow. 

The  final  petition  is  for  the  anointed  king,  that  his 


352  THE  PSALMS 


prayers  may  be  heard.  To  "turn  away  the  face"  is 
a  graphic  expression,  drawn  from  the  attitude  of  one 
who  refuses  to  Hsten  to  a  suppHant.  It  is  harsh  in  the 
extreme  to  suppose  that  the  king  referred  to  is  David 
himself,  though  Hupfeld  and  others  take  that  view. 
The  reference  to  Solomon  is  natural. 

Such  are  the  psalmist's  petitions.  The  answers 
follow  in  the  remainder  of  the  psalm,  which,  as  already 
noticed,  is  parted  in  two  by  an  interjected  verse 
(ver.  13),  breaking  the  continuity  of  the  Divine  Voice. 
The  shape  of  the  responses  is  determined  by  the  form 
of  the  desires,  and  in  every  case  the  answer  is  larger 
than  the  prayer.  The  Divine  utterance  begins  with 
a  parallel  between  the  oath  of  David  and  that  of  God. 
David  "sware  to  Jehovah."  Yes,  but  "Jehovah  has 
sworn  to  David."  That  is  grander  and  deeper.  With 
this  may  be  connected  the  similar  parallel  in  vv.  13 
and  14  with  ver.  5.  David  had  sought  to  "find  a 
habitation  "  for  Jehovah.  But  He  Himself  had  chosen 
His  habitation  long  ago.  He  is  throned  there  now, 
not  because  of  David's  choice  or  Solomon's  work,  but 
because  His  will  had  settled  the  place  of  His  feet. 
These  correspondences  of  expression  point  to  the  great 
truth  that  God  is  His  own  all-sufficient  reason.  He  is 
not  won  to  dwell  with  men  by  their  importunity,  but  in 
the  depths  of  His  unchangeable  love  lies  the  reason 
why  He  abides  with  us  unthankful.  The  promise 
given  in  ver.  12,  which  has  respect  to  the  closing 
petition  of  the  preceding  part,  is  substantially  that  con- 
tained in  2  Sam.  vii.  Similar  references  to  that  iunda- 
mental  promise  to  David  are  found  in  Psalm  Ixxxix., 
with  which  this  psalm  is  sometimes  taken  to  be  parallel ; 
but  that  psalm  comes  from  a  time  when  the  faithful 
promise    seemed    to    have    failed    for    evermore,    and 


cxxxii.J  THE  PSALMS  353 

breathes  a  sadness  which  is  alien  to  the  spirit  of  this 
song. 

Ver.  13  appears  to  be  spoken  by  the  people.  It 
breaks  the  stream  of  promises.  God  has  been  speaking, 
but  now,  for  a  moment,  He  is  spoken  of.  His  choice 
of  Zion  for  His  dwelling  is  the  glad  fact,  which  the 
congregation  feels  so  borne  in  on  its  consciousness  that 
it  breaks  forth  into  speech.  The  **  For  "  at  the  beginning 
of  the  verse  gives  a  striking  sequence,  assigning,  as  it 
does,  the  Divine  selection  of  Zion  for  His  abode,  as  the 
reason  for  the  establishment  of  the  Davidic  monarchy. 
If  the  throne  was  set  up  in  Jerusalem,  because  there 
God  would  dwell,  how  solemn  the  obligation  thereby 
laid  on  its  occupant  to  rule  as  God's  viceroy,  and  how 
secure  each  in  turn  might  feel,  if  he  discharged  the 
obligations  of  his  office,  that  God  would  grant  to  the 
kingdom  an  equal  date  with  the  duration  of  His  own 
abode  !    Throne  and  Temple  are  indissolubly  connected. 

With  ver.  14  the  Divine  Voice  resumes,  and  echoes 
the  petitions  of  the  earlier  part.  The  psalmist  asked 
God  to  arise  into  His  rest,  and  He  answers  by  granting 
the  request  with  the  added  promise  of  perpetuity : 
"  Here  will  I  dwell  for  ever.'^  He  adds  a  promise 
which  had  not  been  asked — abundance  for  all,  and 
bread  to  fill  even  the  poor.  The  psalmist  asked  that 
the  priests  might  be  clothed  in  righteousness,  and  the 
answer  promises  robes  oi^  salvation,  which  is  the  perfect- 
ing and  most  glorious  issue  of  righteousness.  The 
psalmist  asked  that  God's  favoured  ones  might  utter 
shrill  cries  of  joy,  and  God  replies  with  an  emphatic 
reduplication  of  the  word,  which  implies  the  exuberance 
and  continuance  of  the  gladness.  The  psalmist  asked 
for  favour  to  the  anointed,  and  God  replies  by  expanded 
and  magnificent  promises.  The  "horn  "  is  an  emblem 
VOL.  III.  23 


354  THE  PSALMS 


of  power.  It  shall  continually  "  sprout  " — i.e.,  the  might 
of  the  royal  house  shall  continually  increase.  The 
"  lamp  for  Mine  anointed  "  may  be  simply  a  metaphor 
for  enduring  prosperity  and  happiness,  but  manj^ 
expositors  take  it  to  be  a  symbol  of  the  continuance  of 
i.he  Davidic  house,  as  in  I  Kings  xv.  4,  where,  however, 
the  word  employed  is  not  the  same  as  that  used  here, 
though  closely  connected  with  it.  The  promise  of 
perpetuity  to  the  house  of  David  does  not  fit  into  the 
context  as  well  as  that  of  splendour  and  joy,  and  it  has 
already  been  given  in  ver.  12.  Victory  will  attend  the 
living  representative  of  David,  his  foes  being  clothed 
by  Jehovah  with  shame — i.e.,  being  foiled  in  their  hostile 
attempts — -while  their  confusion  is  as  a  dark  background, 
against  which  the  radiance  of  his  diadem  sparkles  the 
more  brightly.  These  large  promises  are  fulfilled  in 
Jesus  Christ,  of  the  seed  of  David ;  and  the  psalm  is 
Messianic,  as  presenting  the  ideal  which  it  is  sure  shall 
be  realised,  and  which  is  so  in  Him  alone. 

The  Divine  promises  teach  the  great  truth  that  God 
over-answers  our  desires,  and  puts  to  shame  the  poverty 
of  our  petitions  by  the  wealth  of  His  gifts.  He  is 
"  able  to  do  exceeding  abundantly  above  all  that  we 
ask  or  think,"  for  the  measure  of  His  doing  is  none 
other  than  "  according  to  the  Power  that  worketh  in 
us,"  and  the  measure  of  that  Power  is  none  other  than 
"  the  working  of  the  strength  of  His  might,  which  He 
wrought  in  Christ,  when  He  raised  Him  from  the  dead, 
and  set  Him  at  His  own  right  hand  in  the  heavenly 
places." 


PSALM  CXXXIII. 

1  Behold,  how  good  and  how  pleasant  [it  is] 
That  brethren  dwell  in  unity! 

2  Like  the  precious  oil  on  the  head, 
Flowing  down  on  the  beard, 
[Even]  Aaron's  beard. 

That  flows  down  on  the  opening  of  his  garments. 

3  Like  the  dew  of  Hermon,  that  flows  down  on  the  mountains  of 

Zion. 
For  there  Jehovah  has  commanded  the  blessing, 
Life  for  evermore. 

IT  is  natural  to  suppose  that  this  psahn  was  occa- 
sioned by,  or  at  least  refers  to,  the  gathering  of 
the  pilgrims  or  restored  exiles  in  Jerusalem.  The 
patriot-poet's  heart  glows  at  the  sight  of  the  assembled 
multitudes,  and  he  points  with  exultation  to  the  good 
and  fair  sight.  Like  the  other  short  psalms  in  this 
group,  this  one  is  the  expression  of  a  single  thought — 
the  blessing  of  unity,  and  that  not  merely  as  shown 
in  the  family,  but  in  the  church-state  of  the  restored 
Israel.  The  remembrance  of  years  of  scattering  among 
the  nations,  and  of  the  schism  of  the  Northern  tribes, 
makes  the  sight  of  an  united  Israel  the  more  blessed, 
even  though  its  numbers  are  small. 

The  psalm  begins  with  a  **  Behold,"  as  if  the  poet 
would  summon  others  to  look  on  the  goodly  spectacle 
which,  in  reality  or  in  imagination,  is  spread  before 
him.     Israel  is  gathered  together,  and  the  sight  is  good, 

355 


356  THE  PSALMS 


as  securing  substantial  benefits,  and  "  pleasant,"  as 
being  lovely.  The  original  in  ver.  \b  runs,  "That 
brethren  dwell  also  together."  The  "  also "  suggests 
that,  in  addition  to  local  union,  there  should  be  heart 
harmony,  as  befits  brothers.  To  speak  in  modern 
dialect,  the  psalmist  cares  little  for  external  unity,  if 
the  spirit  of  oneness  does  not  animate  the  corporate 
whole. 

His  two  lovely  metaphors  or  parables  set  forth  the 
same  thought — namely,  the  all-diffusive,  all-blessing 
nature  of  such  inward  concord.  The  repetition  in  both 
figures  of  the  same  word,  "  flows  down,"  is  not  merely 
due  to  the  "  step-like  "  structure  common  to  this  with 
other  of  the  pilgrim  psalms,  but  is  the  key  to  its 
meaning. 

In  the  first  emblem,  the  consecrating  oil,  poured  on 
Aaron's  head,  represents  the  gracious  spirit  of  concord 
between  brethren.  The  emblem  is  felicitous  by  reason 
of  the  preciousness,  the  fragrance,  and  the  manifold 
uses  of  oil ;  but  these  are  only  to  be  taken  into  account 
in  a  subordinate  degree,  if  at  all.  The  one  point  of 
comparison  is  the  flow  of  the  oil  from  the  priestly  head 
on  to  the  beard  and  thence  to  the  garments.  It  is 
doubtful  whether  ver.  2  d  refers  to  the  oil  or  to  the 
beard  of  the  high  priest.  The  latter  reference  is  pre- 
ferred by  many,  but  the  former  is  more  accordant  with 
the  parallelism,  and  with  the  use  of  the  word  "  flows 
down,"  which  can  scarcely  be  twice  used  in  regard  to 
oil  and  dew,  the  main  subjects  in  the  figures,  and  be 
taken  in  an  entirely  different  reference  in  the  inter- 
vening clause.  The  "  opening "  (lit.  motUli)  of  the 
robe  is  the  upper  edge  or  collar,  the  aperture  through 
which  the  wearer's  head  was  passed. 

The   second   figure    illustrates  the   same   thought  of 


cxxxiii.]  THE  PSALMS  357 


the  diflfusive  blessing  of  concord,  but  it  presents  some 
difficulty.  How  can  the  dew  of  Hermon  in  the  far 
north  fall  on  the  mountains  of  Zion  ?  Some  commen- 
tators, as  Delitzsch,  try  to  make  out  that  "  an  abundant 
dew  in  Jerusalem  might  rightly  be  accounted  for  by 
the  influence  of  the  cold  current  of  air  sweeping  down 
from  the  north  over  Hermon."  But  that  is  a  violent 
supposition  ;  and  there  is  no  need  to  demand  meteoro- 
logical accuracy  from  a  pott.  It  is  the  one  dew  which 
falls  on  both  mountains ;  and  since  Hermon  towers 
high  above  the  lower  height  of  Zion,  and  is  visited  with 
singular  abundance  of  the  nightly  blessing,  it  is  no 
inadmissible  poetic  licence  to  say  that  the  loftier  hill 
transmits  it  to  the  lesser.  Such  community  of  blessing 
is  the  result  of  fraternal  concord,  whereby  the  high 
serve  the  lowly,  and  no  man  grudgingly  keeps  anything 
to  himself,  but  all  share  in  the  good  of  each.  Dew, 
like  oil,  is  fitted  for  this  symbolic  use,  by  reason  of 
qualities  which,  though  they  do  not  come  prominently 
into  view,  need  not  be  wholly  excluded.  It  refreshes 
the  thirsty  ground  and  quickens  vegetation  ;  so  fra- 
ternal concord,  falling  gently  on  men's  spirits,  and 
linking  distant  ones  together  by  a  mysterious  chain 
of  transmitted  good,  will  help  to  revive  failing  strength 
and  i-efresh  parched  places. 

That  brotherly  unity  is  blessed,  not  only  because 
it  diffuses  itself,  and  so  blesses  all  in  whose  hearts  it 
dwells,  but  also  because  it  is  the  condition  on  which 
still  higher  gifts  are  spread  among  brethren  by  their 
brethren's  mediation.  God  Himself  pours  on  men  the 
sacred  anointing  of  His  Divine  Spirit  and  the  dew 
of  His  quickening  influences.  When  His  servants  are 
knit  together,  as  they  should  be,  they  impart  to  one 
another  the  spiritual  gifts  received  from  above.     When 


358  THE  PSALMS 


Christians  are  truly  one  as  brethren,  God's  grace  will 
fructify  through  each  to  all. 

Ver.  3  b,  c,  seem  to  assign  the  reason  why  the  dew 
of  Hermon  will  descend  on  Zion — i.e.,  why  the  bless- 
ings of  brotherly  concord  should  there  especially  be 
realised.  There  God  has  appointed  to  be  stored  His 
blessing  of  life  ;  therefore  it  becomes  those  who,  dwell- 
ing there,  receive  that  blessing,  to  be  knit  together  in 
closest  bonds,  and  to  impart  to  their  brethren  what 
they  receive  from  the  Fountain  of  all  good.  That  Zion 
should  not  be  the  home  of  concord,  or  that  Jerusalem 
should  not  be  the  city  of  peace,  contradicts  both  the 
name  of  the  city  and  the  priceless  gift  which  Jehovah 
has  placed  there  for  all  its  citizens. 


PSALM    CXXXIV. 

1  Behold,  bless  Jehovah,  all  ye  servants  of  Jehovah, 
Who  stand  in  the  house  of  Jehovah  in  the  night  seasons. 

2  Lift  up  30ur  hands  to  the  sanctuary, 
And  bless  Jehovah. 

3  Jehovah  bless  thee  out  of  Zion, 
The  Maker  of  heaven  and  earth  ! 

THIS  fragment  of  song  closes  the  pilgrim  psalms 
after  the  manner  of  a  blessing.  It  is  evidently 
antiphonal,  vv.  i,  2,  being  a  greeting,  the  givers  of 
which  are  answered  in  ver.  4  by  a  corresponding 
salutation  from  the  receivers.  Who  are  the  parties  to 
the  little  dialogue  is  doubtful.  Some  have  thought  of 
two  companies  of  priestly  watchers  meeting  as  they 
went  their  rounds  in  the  Temple  ;  others,  more  pro- 
bably, take  vv.  i,  2,  to  be  addressed  by  the  congregation 
to  the  priests,  who  had  charge  of  the  nightly  service 
in  the  Temple,  while  ver.  3  is  the  response  of  the 
latter,  addressed  to  the  speakers  of  vv.  i,  2.  i  Chron. 
ix.  33  informs  us  that  there  was  such  a  nightly 
service,  of  the  nature  of  which,  however,  nothing  is 
known.  The  designation  "  servants  of  Jehovah  "  here 
denotes  not  the  people,  but  the  priests,  for  whose 
official  ministrations  "  stand "  is  a  common  term. 
They  are  exhorted  to  fill  the  night  with  prayer  as 
well  as  watchfulness,  and  to  let  their  hearts  go  up  in 
blessing  to  Jehovah.     The  voice  of  praise  should  echo 

359 


36o  THE  PSALMS 


through  the  silent  night  and  float  over  the  sleeping 
city.  The  congregation  is  about  to  leave  the  crowded 
courts  at  the  close  of  a  day  of  worship,  and  now 
gives  this  parting  salutation  and  charge  to  those  who 
remain. 

The  answer  in  ver.  3  is  addressed  to  each  individual 
of  the  congregation — "  Jehovah  bless  thee  !  "  and  it 
invokes  on  each  a  share  in  the  blessing  which,  accord- 
ing to  the  preceding  psalm,  "  Jehovah  has  commanded  " 
in  Zion.  The  watchers  who  remain  in  the  sanctuary 
do  not  monopolise  its  blessings.  These  stream  out 
by  night,  as  by  day,  to  all  true  hearts  ;  and  they  are 
guaranteed  b}^  the  creative  omnipotence  of  Jehovah,  the 
thought  of  which  recurs  so  often  in  these  pilgrim 
psalms,  and  may  be  due  to  the  revulsion  from  idolatry 
consequent  on  the  Captivity  and  Restoration. 

With  this  sweet  interchange  of  greeting  and  exhorta- 
tion to  continual  worship,  this  group  of  psalms  joyously 
ends. 


PSALM   CXXXV. 

1  Hallelujah! 
Praise  the  name  of  Jehovah, 
Praise,  ye  servants  of  Jcliovah, 

2  Who  stand  in  the  house  of  Jehovah, 
In  the  courts  of  the  house  of  our  God. 

3  Praise  J  ah,  for  Jehovah  is  good ; 
Harp  to  His  name,  for  it  is  pleasant. 

4  For  Jah  has  chosen  Jacob  for  Himself, 
Israel  for  His  own  possession. 

5  For  I — I  know  that  Jehovah  is  great. 
And  [that]  our  Lord  is  above  all  gods. 

6  Whatsoever  Jehovah  wills  He  has  done. 
In  the  heaven  and  in  the  earth, 

In  the  seas  and  all  depths  ; 

7  Who  makes  the  vapours  go  up  from  the  end  of  the  earth, 
He  makes  lightnings  for  the  rain. 

Who  brings  forth  wind  from  His  storehouses. 

8  Who  smote  the  first-born  of  Egypt, 
Both  of  man  and  of  cattle  ; 

9  He  sent  signs  and  wonders  into  thy  midst,  O  Egypt, 
On  Pharaoh  and  all  his  servants. 

10  Who  smote  many  nations, 
And  slew  mighty  kings  ; 

11  Sihon,  king  of  the  Amorites, 
And  Og,  king  of  Bashan  ; 

12  And  gave  their  land  [as]  an  inheritance. 
An  inheritance  to  Israel  His  people. 

13  Jehovah,  Thy  name  [endures]  for  ever, 

Jehovah,  Thy  memorial  [endures]  to  generation  after 
generation. 

14  For  Jehovah  will  right  His  people. 
And  will  relent  concerning  His  servants. 

361 


362  THE  PSALMS 


15  The  idols  of  the  nations  are  silver  and  gold, 
The  work  of  the  hands  of  men. 

16  A  mouth  is  theirs — and  they  cannot  speak  ; 
Eyes  are  theirs — and  they  cannot  see  ; 

17  Ears  are  theirs — and  they  cannot  give  ear; 
Yea,  there  is  no  breath  at  all  in  their  mouths. 

18  Like  them  shall  those  who  make  them  be, 
[Even]  every  one  that  trusts  in  them. 

19  House  of  Israel,  bless  j'e  Jehovah ; 
House  of  Aaron,  bless  ye  Jehovah  ; 

20  House  of  Levi,  bless  ye  Jehovah ; 

Ye  who  fear  Jehovah,  bless  ye  Jehovah. 

21  Blessed  be  Jehovah  from  Zion, 
Who  dwells  in  Jerusalem  ! 

Hallelujah! 

LIKE  Psalms  xcvii.  and  xcviii.,  this  is  a  cento,  or 
piece  of  mosaic  work,  apparently  intended  as  a 
call  to  worship  Jehovah  in  the  Temple.  His  greatness, 
as  manifested  in  Nature,  and  especially  in  His  planting 
Israel  in  its  inheritance,  is  set  forth  as  the  reason  for 
praise  ;  and  the  contemptuous  contrast  of  the  nothing- 
ness of  idols  is  repeated  from  Psalm  ex  v.,  and  followed, 
as  there,  by  an  exhortation  to  Israel  to  cleave  to  Him. 
We  have  not  here  to  do  with  a  song  which  gushed 
fresh  from  the  singer's  heart,  but  with  echoes  of 
many  strains  which  a  devout  and  meditative  soul  had 
made  its  own.  The  flowers  are  arranged  in  a  new 
bouquet,  because  the  poet  had  long  delighted  in  their 
fragrance.  The  ease  with  which  he  blends  into  a 
harmonious  whole  fragments  from  such  diverse  sources 
tells  how  familiar  he  was  with  these,  and  how  well  he 
loved  them. 

Vv.  1-4  are  an  invocation  to  praise  Jehovah,  and 
largely  consist  of  quotations  or  allusions.  Thus  Psalm 
cxxxiv.  I  underlies  vv.  i,  2.  But  here  the  reference 
to    nightly   praises   is   omitted,    and    the    summons   js 


cxxxv.]  THE  PSALMS  363 

addressed  not  only  to  those  who  stand  in  the  house  of 
Jehovah,  but  to  those  who  stand  in  its  courts.  That 
expansion  may  mean  that  the  call  to  worship  is  here 
directed  to  the  people  as  well  as  to  the  priests  (so  in 
ver.  19).  Ver.  3  closely  resembles  Psalm  cxlvii.  r, 
but  the  question  of  priority  may  be  left  undecided. 
Since  the  act  of  praise  is  said  to  be  "  pleasant "  in 
Psalm  cxlvii.  i,  it  is  best  to  refer  the  same  word  here 
to  the  same  thing,  and  not,  as  some  would  do,  to  the 
Name,  or  to  take  it  as  an  epithet  of  Jehovah.  To  a 
loving  soul  praise  is  a  delight.  The  songs  which  are 
not  winged  by  the  singer's  joy  in  singing  will  not  rise 
high.  True  worship  pours  out  its  notes  as  birds  do 
theirs — in  order  to  express  gladness  which,  unuttered, 
loads  the  heart.  Ver.  4  somewhat  passes  beyond  the 
bounds  of  the  invocation  proper,  and  anticipates  the 
subsequent  part  of  the  psalm.  Israel's  prerogative  is 
so  great  to  this  singer  that  it  forces  utterance  at  once, 
though  "out  of  season,"  as  correct  critics  would  say. 
But  the  throbs  of  a  grateful  heart  are  not  always 
regular.  It  is  impossible  to  keep  the  reasons  for  praise 
out  of  the  summons  to  praise.  Ver.  4  joyfully  and 
humbly  accepts  the  wonderful  title  given  in  Deut. 
vii.  6. 

In  vv.  5-7  God's  majesty  as  set  forth  in  Nature  is 
hymned.  The  psalmist  says  emphatically  in  ver.  5 
"  I — I  know,"  and  implies  the  privilege  which  he  shared, 
in  common  with  his  fellow-Israelites  (who  appear  in  the 
"  our  "  of  the  next  clause),  of  knowing  what  the  heathen 
did  not  know — how  highly  Jehovah  was  exalted  above 
all  their  gods.  Ver.  6  is  from  Psalm  cxv.  3,  with  the 
expansion  of  defining  the  all-inclusive  sphere  of  God's 
sovereignty.  Heaven,  earth,  seas,  and  depths  cover 
all  space.      The  enumeration   of  the  provinces  of  His 


364  THE  PSALMS 


dominion  prepares  for  that  of  the  phases  of  His  power 
in  Nature,  which  is  quoted  with  slight  change  from 
Jer.  X.  13,  li.  16.  The  mysterious  might  which  gathers 
from  some  unknown  region  the  filmy  clouds  which 
grow,  no  man  knows  how,  in  the  clear  blue  ;  the 
power  which  weds  in  strange  companionship  the  fire  of 
the  lightning  flash  and  the  torrents  of  rain  ;  the  con- 
trolling hand  which  urges  forth  the  invisible  wind, — 
these  call  for  praise. 

But  while  the  psalmist  looks  on  physical  phenomena 
with  a  devout  poet's  eye,  he  turns  from  these  to 
expatiate  rather  on  what  Jehovah  has  done  for  Israel. 
Psalmists  are  never  weary  of  drawing  confidence  and 
courage  for  to-da}^  from  the  deeds  of  the  Exodus  and 
the  Conquest.  Ver.  8  is  copied  from  Exod.  xiii.  15,  and 
the  whole  section  is  saturated  with  phraseology  drawn 
from  Deuteronomy.  Ver.  13  is  from  Exod.  iii.  15,  the 
narrative  of  the  theophany  at  the  Bush.  That  Name, 
proclaimed  then  as  the  basis  of  Moses'  mission  and 
Israel's  hope,  is  now,  after  so  many  centuries  and 
sorrows,  the  same,  and  it  will  endure  for  ever.  Ver. 
14  is  from  Deut.  xxxii.  36.  Jehovah  will  right  His 
people — I.e.,  deliver  them  from  oppressors — which  is  the 
same  thing  as  "  relent  concerning  His  servants,"  since 
His  wrath  was  the  reason  of  their  subjection  to  their 
foes.  That  judicial  deliverance  of  Israel  is  at  once 
the  sign  that  His  Name,  His  revealed  character,  con- 
tinues the  same,  unexhausted  and  unchanged  for  ever, 
and  the  reason  why  the  Name  shall  continue  as  the 
object  of  perpetual  adoration  and  trust. 

Vv.  15-20  are  taken  bodily  from  Psalm  cxv.,  to 
which  the  reader  is  referred.  Slight  abbreviations 
and  one  notable  difference  occur.  In  ver.  17  b,  "Yea, 
there  is  no  breath  at  all  in  their  mouths,"  takes  the  place 


cxxxv.]  THE  PSALMS  365 


of  "  A  nose  is  theirs — and  they  cannot  smell."  The 
variation  has  arisen  from  the  fact  that  the  particle  of 
strong  affirmation  (yea)  is  spelt  like  the  noun  "  nose," 
and  that  the  word  for  "  breath  "  resembles  the  verb 
*'  smell."  The  psalmist  plays  upon  his  original,  and  by 
his  variation  makes  the  expression  of  the  idols'  lifeless- 
ness  stronger. 

The  final  summons  to  praise,  with  which  the  end 
of  the  psalm  returns  to  its  beginning,  is  also  moulded 
on  Psalm  ex  v.  9-1 1,  with  the  addition  of  "  the  house  of 
Levi "  to  the  three  groups  mentioned  there,  and  the 
substitution  of  a  call  to  "  bless  "  for  the  original  invita- 
tion to  "trust."  Ver.  21  looks  back  to  the  last  verse 
of  the  preceding  psalm,  and  significantly  modifies  it. 
There,  as  in  Psalm  cxviii.,  Jehovah's  blessing  comes 
out  of  Zion  to  His  people.  Here  the  people's  blessing 
in  return  goes  from  Zion  and  rises  to  Jehovah.  They 
gathered  there  for  worship,  and  dwelt  with  Him  in  His 
city  and  Temple.  Swift  interchange  of  the  God-given 
blessing,  which  consists  in  mercies  and  gifts  of  gracious 
deliverance,  and  of  the  human  blessing,  which  consists 
in  thanksgiving  and  praise,  fills  the  hours  of  those  who 
dwell  with  Jehovah,  as  guests  in  His  house,  and  walk 
the  streets  of  the  city  which  He  guards  and  Himself 
inhabits. 


PSALM    CXXXVl. 

1  Give  thanks  to  Jehovah,  for  He  is  good, 
For  His  loving-kindness  endures  for  cvei. 

2  Give  thanks  to  the  God  of  gods, 

For  His  loving-kindness  endures  for  ever, 

3  Give  thanks  to  the  Lord  of  lords, 

For  His  loving-kindness  endures  for  ever. 

4  To  Him  who  alone  does  great  wonders. 
For  His  loving-kindness  endures  for  ever. 

5  To  Him  who  made  the  heavens  by  understanding, 
For  His  loving-kindness  endures  for  ever/ 

6  To  Him  who  spread  the  earth  above  the  waters, 
For  His  loving-kindness  endures  for  ever. 

7  To  Him  who  made  great  lights. 

For  His  loving-kindness  endures  for  ever; 

8  The  sun  to  rule  by  day. 

For  His  loving-kindness  endures  for  ever  ; 

9  The  moon  and  stars  to  rule  by  night, 

For  His  loving-kindness  endures  for  ever, 

10  To  Him  who  smote  the  Egyptians  in  their  first-born, 
For  His  loving-kindness  endures  for  ever; 

1 1  And  brought  forth  Israel  from  their  midst. 
For  His  loving-kindness  endures  for  ever ; 

12  With  mighty  strong  hand  and  outstretched  arm. 
For  His  loving-kindness  endures  for  ever. 

13  To  Him  that  cut  the  Red  Sea  into  parts. 
For  His  loving-kindness  endures  for  ever; 

14  And  made  Israel  pass  through  the  midst  of  it, 
For  His  loving-kindness  endures  for  ever  ; 

15  And  shook  out  Pharaoh  and  his  host  into  the  Red  Sea, 
For  His  loving-kindness  endures  for  ever. 

16  To  Hiin  who  led  His  people  in  the  wilderness. 
For  His  loving-kindness  endures  for  over, 

366 


cxxxvi.]  THE  PSALMS  367 

17  To  Him  who  smote  great  kings, 

For  His  loving-kindness  endures  for  ever  ; 

18  And  slew  mighty  kings, 

For  His  loving-kindness  endures  for  ever  ; 

19  Sihon,  king  of  the  Amoritcs, 

For  His  loving-kindness  endures  for  ever ; 

20  And  Og,  king  of  Bashan, 

For  His  loving-kindness  endures  for  ever  ; 

21  And  gave  their  land  for  an  inheritance, 
For  His  loving-kindness  endures  for  ever; 

22  An  inheritance  to  Israel  His  servant. 

For  His  loving-kindness  endures  for  ever, 

23  Who  in  our  low  estate  remembered  us. 
For  His  loving-kindness  endures  for  ever; 

24  And  tore  us  from  the  grasp  of  our  adversaries. 
For  His  loving-kindness  endures  for  ever. 

25  Who  gives  bread  to  all  flesh, 

For  His  loving-kindness  endures  for  ever. 

26  Give  thanks  to  the  God  of  heaven. 

For  His  loving-kindness  endures  for  ever. 

THIS  psalm  is  evidently  intended  for  liturgic  use. 
It  contains  reminiscences  of  many  parts  of  Scrip- 
ture, and  is  especially  based  on  the  previous  psalm, 
which  it  follows  closely  in  vv.  10-18,  and  quotes 
directly  in  vv.  19-22.  Delitzsch  points  out  that  if 
these  quoted  verses  are  omitted,  the  psalm  falls  into 
triplets.  It  would  then  also  contain  twenty-two  verses, 
corresponding  to  the  number  of  letters  in  the  Hebrew 
alphabet.  The  general  trend  of  thought  is  like  that 
of  Psalm  cxxxv.  ;  but  the  addition  in  each  verse  of  the 
refrain  gives  a  noble  swing  and  force  to  this  exulting 
song. 

The  first  triplet  is  a  general  invocation  to  praise, 
coloured  by  the  phraseology  of  Deuteronomy.  Vv.  2  a 
and  3  a  quote  Deut.  x.  17.  The  second  and  third 
triplets  (vv.  4-9)  celebrate  Jehovah's  creative  power. 
"  Doeth  great  wonders  "  (ver.  4)  is  from  Psalm  Ixxii.  18. 


j68  the  psalms 


The  thought  of  the  Divine  Wisdom  as  the  creative 
agent  occurs  in  Psalm  civ.  24,  and  attains  noble  expres- 
sion in  Prov.  iii.  In  ver.  6  the  word  rendered  spread  is 
from  the  same  root  as  that  rendered  "  firmament "  in 
Genesis.  The  office  of  the  heavenly  bodies  to  rule  day 
and  night  is  taken  from  Gen.  i.  But  the  psalm  looks 
at  the  story  of  Creation  from  an  original  point  of  view, 
when  it  rolls  out  in  chorus,  after  each  stage  of  that 
work,  that  its  motive  lay  in  the  eternal  loving-kindness 
of  Jehovah.  Creation  is  an  act  of  Divine  love.  That 
is  the  deepest  truth  concerning  all  things  visible. 
They  are  the  witnesses,  as  they  are  the  result,  of 
loving-kindness  which  endures  for  ever. 

Vv.  10-22  pass  from  world-wide  manifestations  of 
that  creative  loving-kindness  to  those  specially  affect- 
ing Israel.  If  vv.  19-22  are  left  out  of  notice,  there  are 
three  triplets  in  which  the  Exodus,  desert  life,  and  con- 
quest of  Caanan  are  the  themes, — the  first  (vv.  10-12) 
recounting  the  departure;  the  second  (vv.  13-15)  the 
passage  of  the  Red  Sea;  the  third  (vv.  16- 1 8)  the 
guidance  during  the  forty  years  and  the  victories 
over  enemies.  The  whole  is  largely  taken  from  the 
preceding  psalm,  and  has  also  numerous  allusions  to 
other  parts  of  Scripture.  Ver.  12  a  is  found  in 
Deut.  iv.  34,  etc.  The  word  for  dividing  the  Red  Sea 
is  peculiar.  It  means  to  hew  in  pieces  or  in  two,  and 
is  used  for  cutting  in  halves  the  child  in  Solomon's 
judgment  (i  Kings  iii.  25)  ;  while  the  word  "  parts  "  is 
a  noun  from  the  same  root,  and  is  found  in  Gen.  xv.  17, 
to  describe  the  two  portions  into  which  Abraham  clave 
the  carcasses.  Thus,  as  with  a"  sword,  Jehovah  hewed 
the  sea  in  two,  and  His  people  passed  between  the 
parts,  as  between  the  halves  of  the  covenant  sacrifice. 
In  ver.   15  the  word  describing  Pharaoh's  destruction 


cxxxvi.]  THE  PSALMS  369 

is  taken  from  Exod.  xiv.  27,  and  vividly  describes  it 
as  a  "shaking  out,"  as  one  would  vermin  or  filth  from 
a  robe. 

In  the  last  triplet  (vv.  23-25)  the  singer  comes  to 
the  Israel  of  the  present.  It,  too,  had  experienced 
Jehovah's  remembrance  in  its  time  of  need,  and  felt 
the  merciful  grasp  of  His  hand  plucking  it,  with  loving 
violence,  from  the  claws  of  the  lion.  The  word  for 
"  low  estate  "  and  that  for  "  tore  us  from  the  grasp " 
are  only  found  besides  in  late  writings — the  former 
in  Eccles.  x.  6,  and  the  latter  in  Lam.  v.  8. 

But  the  song  will  not  close  with  reference  only  to 
Israel's  blessings.  "  He  gives  bread  to  all  flesh." 
The  loving-kindness  which  flashes  forth  even  in 
destructive  acts,  and  is  manifested  especially  in  bring- 
ing Israel  back  from  exile,  stretches  as  wide  in  its 
beneficence  as  it  did  in  its  first  creative  acts,  and 
sustains  all  flesh  which  it  has  made.  Therefore  the 
final  call  to  praise,  which  rounds  off  the  psalm  by 
echoing  its  beginning,  does  not  name  Him  by  the 
Name  which  implied  Israel's  special  relation,  but  by 
that  by  which  other  peoples  could  and  did  address 
Him,  "  the  God  of  heaven,"  from  whom  all  good  comes 
down  on  all  the  earth. 


VOL.   in.  24 


PSALM   CXXXVII. 

1  By  the  streams  of  Babylon,  there  we  sat,  yea,  wept, 
When  we  remembered  Zion. 

2  On  the  willows  in  the  midst  thereof 
We  hung  our  harps. 

3  For  there  our  captors  required  of  us  words  of  song, 
And  our  plunderers  [required  of  us]  mirth  ; 

"  Sing  us  one  of  the  songs  of  Zion." 

4  How  can  we  sing  Jehovah's  songs 
In  a  strange  land  ? 

5  If  I  forget  thee,  Jerusalem, 
May  my  right  hand  forget ! 

6  May  my  tongue  cleave  to  my  palate. 
If  I  remember  thee  not, 

If  I  set  not  Jerusalem 
,    Above  the  summit  of  my  joy  ! 

7  Remember,  Jehovah,  to  the  children  of  Edom 
The  day  of  Jerusalem, 

Who  said,  "  Lay  bare,  lay  bare, 
I'o  the  foundation  therein." 

8  Daughter  of  Babylon,  thou  that  art  laid  waste, 
Happy  he  that  requites  thee 

Thy  doing  which  thou  hast  done  to  us ! 

9  Happy  he  that  seizes  and  dashes  thy  little  ones 
Against  the  rock  ! 

THE  Captivity  is  past,  as  the  tenses  in  vv.  1-3 
show,  and  as  is  manifest  from  the  very  fact  that 
its  miseries  have  become  themes  for  a  psahn.  Grief 
must  be  somewhat  removed  before  it  can  be  sung.  But 
the  strains  of  triumph  heard  in  other  psahiis  are  want- 
ing in  this,  which  breathes  passionate  love  for  Jerusalem, 

370 


cxxxvii.]  THE  PSALMS  371 

tinged  with  sadness  still.  The  date  of  the  psalm  is 
apparently  the  early  days  of  the  Return,  when  true- 
hearted  patriots  still  felt  the  smart  of  recent  bondage 
and  sadly  gazed  on  the  dear  ruins  of  the  city.  The 
singer  passes  in  brief  compass  from  tender  music 
breathing  plaintive  remembrance  of  the  captives'  lot, 
to  passionate  devotion,  and  at  last  to  an  outburst  of 
vehement  imprecation,  magnificent  in  its  fiery  rush, 
amply  explicable  by  Israel's  wrongs  and  Babylon's 
crimes,  and  yet  to  be  frankly  acknowledged  as  moving 
on  a  lower  plane  of  sentiment  than  is  permissible  to 
those  who  have  learned  to  repay  scorn  with  gentleness, 
hate  with  love,  and  injuries  with  desires  for  the  injurer's 
highest  good.  The  coals  of  fire  which  this  psalmist 
scatters  among  Israel's  foes  are  not  those  which  Christ's 
servants  are  bidden  to  heap  on  their  enemies'  heads. 

Nothing  sweeter  or  sadder  was  ever  written  than 
that  delicate,  deeply  felt  picture  of  the  exiles  in  the 
early  verses  of  the  psalm.  We  see  them  sitting,  as  too 
heavy-hearted  for  activity,  and  half  noting,  as  adding 
to  their  grief,  the  unfamiliar  landscape  round  them, 
with  its  innumerable  canals,  and  the  monotonous 
"  willows  "  (rather,  a  species  of  poplar)  stretching  along 
their  banks.  How  unlike  this  flat,  tame  fertility  to  the 
dear  home-land,  with  its  hills  and  glens  and  rushing 
streams  !  The  psalmist  was  probably  a  Temple  singer, 
but  he  did  not  find  solace  even  in  "  the  harp,  his  sole 
remaining  joy."  No  doubt  many  of  the  exiles  made 
themselves  at  home  in  captivity,  but  there  were  some 
more  keenly  sensitive  or  more  devout,  who  found  that 
it  was  better  to  remember  Zion  and  weep  than  to 
enjoy  Babylon.  "  Alas,  alas !  how  much  less  it  is  to 
hold  converse  with  others  than  to  remember  thee  ! " 
So  they  sat,  like  Michael  Angelo's  brooding  figure  of 


372  THE  PSALMS 


Jeremiah  in  the  Sistine  Chapel,  silent,  motionless,  lost 
in   bitter-sweet  memories. 

But  there  was  another  reason  than  their  own  sadness 
for  hanging  their  idle  harps  upon  the  willows.  Their 
coarse  oppressors  bade  them  sing  to  make  mirth.  They 
wished  entertainment  from  the  odd  sounds  of  foreign 
music,  or  they  were  petulantly  angry  that  such  dumb 
hang-dog  people  should  keep  sullen  faces,  like  un- 
illuminated  windows,  when  their  masters  were  pleased 
to  be  merry.  So,  like  tipsy  revellers,  they  called  out 
"  Sing !  "  The  request  drove  the  iron  deeper  into  sad 
hearts,  for  it  came  from  those  who  had  made  the  misery. 
They  had  led  away  the  captives,  and  now  they  bid 
them   make  sport. 

The  word  rendered  plunderers  is  difficult.  The  trans- 
lation adopted  here  is  that  of  the  LXX.  and  others. 
It  requires  a  slight  alteration  of  reading,  which  is 
approved  by  Hupfeld  (as  an  alternative),  Perowne, 
Baethgen,  Graetz,  etc.  Cheyne  follows  Halevy  in 
preferring  another  conjectural  alteration  which  gives 
"dancers"  ("and  of  our  dancers,  festive  glee"),  but 
admits  that  the  other  view  is  "  somewhat  more  natural." 
The  roystering  Babylonians  did  not  care  what  kind  of 
songs  their  slaves  sang — Temple  music  would  do  as  well 
as  any  other  ;  but  the  devout  psalmist  and  his  fellows 
shrank  from  profaning  the  sacred  songs  that  praised 
Jehovah  by  making  them  parts  of  a  heathen  banquet. 
Such  sacrilege  would  have  been  like  Belshazzar's  using 
the  Temple  vessels  for  his  orgy.  "  Give  not  that  which 
is  holy  to  dogs."  And  the  singers  were  not  influenced 
by  superstition,  but  by  reverence  and  by  sadness,  when 
they  could  not  sing  these  songs  in  that  strange  land. 
No  doubt  it  was  a  fact  that  the  Temple  music  fell 
into  desuetude  durinj^  the  Captivity.     There  are  moods 


cxxxvii.]  THE  PSALMS  373 

and  there  are  scenes  in  which  it  is  profanation  to  utter 
the  deep  music  which  may  be  sounding  on  perpetually 
in  the  heart.  "  Songs  unheard "  are  sometimes  not 
only  "  sweetest,"  but  the  truest  worship. 

The  psalmist's  remembrances  of  Babylon  are  suddenly 
broken  off.  His  heart  burns  as  he  broods  on  that  past, 
and  then  lifts  his  eyes  to  see  how  forlorn  and  forgotten- 
like  Jerusalem  stands,  as  if  appealing  to  her  sons  for 
help.  A  rush  of  emotion  sweeps  over  him,  and  he 
breaks  into  a  passion  of  vowed  loyalty  to  the  mother 
city.  He  has  Jerusalem  written  on  his  heart.  It  is 
noteworthy  that  her  remembrance  was  the  exiles'  crown 
of  sorrow  ;  it  now  becomes  the  apex  of  the  singer's  joy. 
No  private  occasion  for  gladness  so  moves  the  depths 
of  a  soul,  smitten  with  the  noble  and  ennobling  love 
of  the  city  of  God,  as  does  its  prosperity.  Alas  that 
the  so-called  citizens  of  the  true  city  of  God  should 
have  so  tepid  interest  in  its  welfare,  and  be  so  much 
more  keenly  touched  by  individual  than  by  public 
prosperity  or  adversity !  Alas  that  so  often  they 
should  neither  weep  when  they  remember  its  bondage 
nor  exult  in  its  advancement ! 

Ver.  5  6  is  emphatic  by  its  incompleteness.  "  May 
my  right  hand  forget  !  "  What  ?  Some  word  like 
"  power,"  "  cunning,"  or  "  movement  "  may  be  supplied. 
It  would  be  as  impossibly  unnatural  for  the  poet  to 
forget  Jerusalem  as  for  his  hand  to  forget  to  move  or 
cease  to  be  conscious  of  its  connection  with  his  body. 

Ver,  6  d  reads  literally  "  Above  the  head  of  my  joy  "  : 
an  expression  which  may  either  mean  the  summit  of 
my  joy — i.e.,  my  greatest  joy ;  or  the  sum  of  my  joy — i.e., 
my  whole  joy.  In  either  case  the  well-being  of  Jeru- 
salem is  the  psalmist's  climax  of  gladness  ;  and  so 
utterly  does  he  lose  himself  in  the  community  founded 


374  THE  PSALMS 


by  God,  that  all  his  springs  of  felicity  are  in  her.  He 
had  chosen  the  better  part.  Unselfish  gladness  is  the 
only  lasting  bliss ;  and  only  they  drink  of  an  unfailing 
river  of  pleasures  whose  chiefest  delight  lies  in  behold- 
ing and  sharing  in  the  rebuilding  of  God's  city  on  earth. 

The  lightning  flashes  of  the  last  part  of  the  psalm 
need  little  commenting.  The  desire  for  the  destruction 
of  Zion's  enemies,  which  they  express,  is  not  the  highest 
mood  of  the  loyal  citizen  of  God's  city,  and  is  to  be 
fully  recognised  as  not  in  accordance  with  Christian 
morality.  But  it  has  been  most  unfairly  judged,  as  if 
it  were  nothing  nobler  than  ferocious  thirsting  for 
vengeance.  It  is  a  great  deal  more.  It  is  desire  for 
retribution,  heavy  as  the  count  of  crimes  which  de- 
mands it  is  heavy.  It  is  a  solemn  appeal  to  God  to 
sweep  away  the  enemies  of  Zion,  who,  in  hating  her, 
rebelled  against  Him.  First,  the  psalmist  turns  to  the 
treacherous  kinsmen  of  Israel,  the  Edomites,  who  had, 
as  Obadiah  sa3's,  "  rejoiced  over  the  children  of  Judah 
in  the  days  of  their  destruction  "  (Obad.  12),  and  stimu- 
lated the  work  of  rasing  the  city.  Then  the  singer 
turns  to  Babylon,  and  salutes  her  as  already  laid  waste  ; 
for  he  is  a  seer  as  well  as  a  singer,  and  is  so  sure  of 
the  judgment  to  be  accomplished  that  it  is  as  good  as 
done.  The  most  repellent  part  of  the  imprecation,  that 
which  contemplates  the  dreadful  destruction  of  tender 
infants,  has  its  harshness  somewhat  softened  by  the 
fact  that  it  is  the  echo  of  Isaiah's  prophecy  concerning 
Babylon  (Isa.  xiii.  16-18),  and  still  further  by  the  con- 
sideration that  the  purpose  of  the  apparently  barbarous 
cruelty  was  to  make  an  end  of  a  "  seed  of  evil-doers," 
whose  continuance  meant  misery  for  wide  lands. 

Undoubtedly,  the  words  are  stern,  and  the  temper 
they  embody  is  harsh  discord,  when  compared  with  the 


THE  PSALMS  375 


Christian  spirit.  But  they  arc  not  the  utterances  of 
mere  ferocious  revenge.  Rather  they  proclaim  God's 
judgments,  not  with  the  impassivencss,  indeed,  which 
best  befits  the  executors  o^  such  terrible  sentences,  but 
still  less  with  the  malignant  gratification  of  sanguinary 
vengeance  which  has  been  often  attributed  to  them. 
Perhaps,  if  some  of  their  modern  critics  had  been  under 
the  yoke  from  which  this  psalmist  has  been  delivered, 
they  would  have  understood  a  little  better  how  a  good 
man  of  that  age  could  rejoice  that  Babylon  was  fallen 
and  all  its  race  extirpated.  Perhaps,  it  would  do 
modern  tender-heartedness  no  harm  to  have  a  little 
more  iron  infused  into  its  gentleness,  and  to  lay  to 
heart  that  the  King  of  Peace  must  first  be  King  of 
Righteousness,  and  that  Destruction  of  evil  is  the 
complement  of  Preservation  of  Good. 


PSALM    CXXXVIII. 

1  I  will  thank  Thee,  Jehovah,  with  my  whole  heart, 
In  presence  of  the  gods  will  I  harp  to  Thee. 

2  I  will  worship  toward  Thy  holy  Temple, 

And  will  thank  Thy  name  for  Thy  loving-kindness  and  for  Thy 

truth, 
For  Thou  hast  magnified  Thy  promise  above  all  Thy  name. 

3  In  the  day  [when]  I  called  Thou  answeredst  me, 

Thou  didst  make  me  bold — in  my  soul  [welled  up]  strength. 

4  Jehovah,  all  the  kings  of  the  earth  shall  thank  Thee, 
When  they  have  heard  the  words  of  Thy  mouth. 

5  And  they  shall  sing  of  the  ways  of  Jehovah, 
For  great  is  the  glory  of  Jehovah. 

6  For  Jehovah  is  high,  and  the  lowly  He  regards, 
And  the  lofty  from  afar  off  He  knows. 

7  If  I  walk  in  the  midst  of  trouble  Thou  wilt  revive  me, 

Against  the  wrath  of  mine  enemies  Thou  wilt  stretch  forth  Thy 

hand, 
And  Thy  right  hand  shall  save  me. 

8  Jehovah  will  complete  [all]  that  concerns  me  ; 
Jehovah,  Thy  loving-kindness  [endures]  for  ever; 
The  works  of  Thy  hands  abandon  not. 

THIS  is  the  first  of  a  group  of  eight  psalms 
attributed  to  David  in  the  superscriptions.  It 
precedes  the  closing  hallelujah  psalms,  and  thus  stands 
where  a  "  find  "  of  Davidic  psalms  at  a  late  date  would 
naturally  be  put.  In  some  cases,  there  is  no  impro- 
bability in  the  assigned  authorship ;  and  this  psalm  is 
certainly  singularly  unlike  those  which  precede  it,  and 

376 


cxxxviii.]  THE  PSALMS  377 


has  many  affinities  with  the  earlier  psalms  ascribed  to 
David. 

In  reading  it,  one  feels  the  return  to  familiar 
thoughts  and  tones.  The  fragrance  it  exhales  wakes 
memories  of  former  songs.  But  the  resemblance  may 
be  due  to  the  imitative  habit  so  marked  in  the  last 
book  of  the  Psalter.  If  it  is  a  late  psalm,  the  speaker 
is  probably  the  personified  Israel,  and  the  deliverance 
which  seems  to  the  singer  to  have  transcended  all 
previous  manifestations  of  the  Divine  name  is  the 
Restoration,  which  has  inspired  so  many  of  the  pre- 
ceding psalms.  The  supporters  of  the  Davidic  author- 
ship, on  the  other  hand;  point  to  the  promise  to  David 
by  Nathan  of  the  perpetuity  of  the  kinghood  in  his 
line,  as  the  occasion  of  the  psalmist's  triumph. 

The  structure  of  the  psalm  is  simple.  It  falls  into 
three  parts,  of  which  the  two  former  consist  of  three 
verses  each,  and  the  last  of  two.  In  the  first,  the 
singer  vows  praise  and  recounts  God's  wondrous 
dealings  with  him  (vv.  1-3)  ;  in  the  second,  he  looks 
out  over  all  the  earth  in  the  confidence  that  these 
blessings,  when  known,  will  bring  the  world  to  worship 
(vv.  4-6) ;  and  in  the  third,  he  pleads  for  the  com- 
pletion to  himself  of  mercies  begun  (vv.  7,  8). 

The  first  part  is  the  outpouring  of  a  thankful  heart 
for  recent  great  blessing,  which  has  been  the  fulfil- 
ment of  a  Divine  promise.  So  absorbed  in  his  blessed- 
ness is  the  singer,  that  he  neither  names  Jehovah  as 
the  object  of  his  thanks,  nor  specifies  what  has  set 
his  heart  vibrating.  The  great  Giver  and  the  great 
gift  are  magnified  by  being  unspoken.  To  whom  but 
Jehovah  could  the  current  of  the  psalmist's  praise  set  ? 
He  feels  that  Jehovah's  mercy  to  him  requires  him  to 
become  the  herald  of  His  name  ;  and  therefore  he  vows, 


378  THE  PSALMS 


in  lofty  consciousness  of  his  mission,  that  he  will  ring 
out  God's  praises  in  presence  of  false  gods,  whose 
worshippers  have  no  such  experience  to  loose  their 
tongues.  Dead  gods  have  dumb  devotees ;  the 
servants  of  the  living  Jehovah  receive  His  acts  of 
power,  that  they  may  proclaim  His  name. 

The  special  occasion  for  this  singer's  praise  has  been 
some  act,  in  which  Jehovah's  faithfulness  was  very 
conspicuously  shown.  "Thou  hast  magnified  Thy 
promise  above  all  Thy  name."  If  the  history  of  David 
underlies  the  psalm,  it  is  most  natural  to  interpret  the 
"  promise  "  as  that  of  the  establishment  of  the  monarchy. 
But  the  fulfilment,  not  the  giving,  of  a  promise  is  its 
magnifying,  and  hence  one  would  incline  to  take  the 
reference  to  be  to  the  great  manifestation  of  God's  troth 
in  restoring  Israel  to  its  land.  In  any  case  the  expres- 
sion is  peculiar,  and  has  induced  many  attempts  at 
emendation.  Baethgen  would  strike  out  "  Thy  name  " 
as  a  dittograph  from  the  previous  clause,  and  thus  gets 
the  reading  "  done  great  things  beyond  Thy  word  " — 
i.e.,  transcended  the  promise  in  fulfilment — which  yields 
a  good  sense.  Others  make  a  slight  alteration  in  the 
word  "  Thy  name,"  and  read  it  "  Thy  heavens,"  sup- 
posing that  the  psalmist  is  making  the  usual  comparison 
between  the  manifestation  of  Divine  power  in  Nature 
and  in  Revelation,  jor  in  the  specific  promise  in  question. 
But  the  text  as  it  stands,  though  peculiar,  is  intelligible, 
and  yields  a  meaning  very  appropriate  to  the  singer's 
astonished  thankfulness.  A  heart  amazed  by  the 
greatness  of  recent  blessings  is  ever  apt  to  think  that 
they,  glittering  in  fresh  beauty,  are  greater,  as  they 
are  nearer  and  newer,  than  the  mercies  which  it  has 
only  heard  of  as  of  old.  To-day  brings  growing  reve- 
lations of  Jehovah  to  the  waiting  heart.     The  psalmist 


cxxxviii.]  THE  PSALMS  379 

is  singing,  not  dissertating.  It  is  quite  true  that  if 
his  words  are  measured  by  the  metaphysical  theo- 
logian's foot-rule,  they  are  inaccurate,  for  "  the  name 
of  God  cannot  be  surpassed  by  any  single  act  of  Mis, 
since  every  single  act  is  but  a  manifestation  of  that 
name  " ;  but  thankfulness  does  not  speak  by  rule,  and 
the  psalmist  means  to  say  that,  so  great  has  been  the 
mercy  given  to  him  and  so  signal  its  confirmation  of 
the  Divine  promise,  that  to  him,  at  all  events,  that 
whole  name  blazes  with  new  lustre,  and  breathes  a 
deeper  music.  So  should  each  man's  experience  be 
the  best  teacher  of  what  God  is  to  all  men. 

In  ver.  3  b  the  psalmist  uses  a  remarkable  expression, 
in  saying  that  Jehovah  had  made  him  bold,  or,  as  the 
word  is  literally,  proud.  The  following  words  are  a 
circumstantial  or  subsidiary  clause,  and  indicate  how 
the  consciousness  of  inbreathed  strength  welling  up  in 
his  soul  gave  him  lofty  confidence  to  confront  foes. 

The  second  part  (vv.  4-6)  resembles  many  earlier 
psalms  in  connecting  the  singer's  deliverance  with  a 
world-wide  manifestation  of  God's  name.  Such  a 
consciousness  of  a  vocation  to  be  the  world's  evangelist 
is  appropriate  either  to  David  or  the  collective  Israel. 
Especially  is  it  natural,  and,  as  a  fact,  occurs  in  post- 
exilic  psalms.  Here  "  the  words  of  Thy  mouth  "  are 
equivalent  to  the  promise  already  spoken  of,  the  ful- 
filment of  which  has  shown  that  Jehovah  the  High  has 
regard  to  the  lowly — i.e.^  to  the  psalmist ;  and  "  knows 
the  lofty" — />.,  his  oppressors — "afar  off."  He  reads 
their  characters  thoroughly,  without,  as  it  were,  needing 
to  approach  for  minute  stud}'.  The  implication  is  that 
He  will  thwart  their  plans  and  judge  the  plotters. 
This  great  lesson  of  Jehovah's  providence,  care  for 
the  lowly,  faithfulness  to  His  word,  has  exemplification 


38o  THE  PSALMS 


in  the  psalmist's  history ;  and  when  it  is  known,  the 
lofty  ones  of  the  earth  shall  learn  the  principles  of 
Jehovah's  ways,  and  become  lowly  recipients  of  His 
favours  and  adoring  singers  of  His  great  glory. 

The  glowing  vision  is  not  yet  fulfilled  ;  but  the  singer 
was  cherishing  no  illusions  when  he  sang.  It  is  true 
that  the  story  of  God's  great  manifestation  of  Himself 
in  Christ,  in  which  He  has  magnified  His  Word  above 
all  His  name,  is  one  day  to  win  the  world.  It  is  true 
that  the  revelation  of  a  God  who  regards  the  lowly 
is  the  conquering  Gospel  which  shall  bow  all  hearts. 

In  the  third  part  (vv.  7,  8),  the  psalmist  comes  back 
to  his  own  needs,  and  takes  to  his  heart  the  calming 
assurance  born  of  his  experience,  that  he  bears  a 
charmed  life.  He  but  speaks  the  confidence  which 
should  strengthen  every  heart  that  rests  on  God.  Such 
an  one  may  be  girdled  about  by  troubles,  but  he  will 
have  an  inner  circle  traced  round  him,  within  which 
no  evil  can  venture.  He  may  walk  in  the  valley  of 
the  shadow  of  death  unfearing,  for  God  will  hold  his 
soul  in  life.  Foes  may  pour  out  floods  of  enmity  and 
wrath,  but  one  strong  hand  will  be  stretched  out 
against  (or  over)  the  wild  deluge,  and  will  draw  the 
trustful  soul  out  of  its  rush  on  to  the  safe  shore.  So 
was  the  psalmist  assured  ;  so  may  and  should  those 
be  who  have  yet  greater  wonders  for  which  to  thank 
Jehovah. 

That  last  prayer  of  the  psalm  blends  very  beautifully 
confidence  and  petition.  Its  central  clause  is  the  basis 
of  both  the  confidence  in  its  first,  and  the  petition  in 
its  last,  clause.  Because  Jehovah's  loving-kindness 
endures  for  ever,  every  man  on  whom  His  shaping 
Spirit  has  begun  to  work,  or  His  grace  in  any  form 
to  bestow  its  gifts,  may  be  sure  that  no  exhaustion  or 


cxxxviii.]  THE  PSALMS  381 

change  of  these  is  possible.  God  is  not  as  the  foolish 
tower-builder,  who  began  and  was  not  able  to  finish. 
He  never  stops  till  He  has  completed  His  work  ;  and 
nothing  short  of  the  entire  conformity  of  a  soul  to  His 
likeness  and  the  filling  of  it  with  Himself  can  be  the 
termination  of  His  loving  purpose,  or  of  His  achieving 
grace.  Therefore  the  psalmist  "  found  it  in  his  heart 
to  pray "  that  God  would  not  abandon  the  works  of 
His  own  hands.  That  prayer  appeals  to  His  faithful- 
ness and  to  His  honour.  It  sets  forth  the  obligations 
under  which  God  comes  by  what  He  has  done.  It  is  a 
prayer  which  goes  straight  to  His  heart;  and  they  who 
offer  it  receive  the  old  answer,  "  I  will  not  leave  thee 
till  I  have  done  unto  thee  that  which  I  have  spoken 
to  thee  of." 


PSALM   CXXXIX. 

1  Jehovah,  Thou  hast  searched  me  and  known  [me]. 

2  Thou,  Thou  knowest  my  down-sitting  and  my  up-rising, 
Thou  understandest  mj^  thought  afar  off. 

3  My  walking  and  my  lying  down  Thou  siftest, 
And  with  all  my  ways  Thou  art  familiar. 

4  For  there  is  not  a  word  on  my  tongue, 
— Behold,  Thou,  Jehovah,  knowest  it  all. 

5  Behind  and  before  Thou  hast  shut  mc  in, 
And  hast  laid  upon  me  Thy  hand. 

6  [Such]  knowledge  is  too  wonderful  for  me. 
Too  high,  I  am  not  able  for  it. 

7  Whither  shall  I  go  from  Thy  spirit  ? 
And  whither  from  Thy  face  shall  I  flee  ? 

8  If  I  climb  heaven,  there  art  Thou, 

Or  make  Sheol  my  bed,  lo,  Thou  [art  there]. 

9  [If]  I  lift  up  the  wings  of  the  dawn, 

[If]  I  dwell  at  the  farthest  end  of  the  sea, 

10  Even  there  Thy  hand  shall  lead  me, 
And  Thy  right  hand  shall  hold  me. 

11  And  [if]  I  say,  "Only  let  darkness  cover  me, 
And  the  light  about  me  be  [as]  night," 

12  Even  darkness  darkens  not  to  Thee, 
And  night  lightens  like  day ; 

As  is  the  darkness,  so  is  the  light. 

13  For  Thou,  Thou  hast  formed  my  reins. 

Thou  hast  woven  me  together  in  my  mother's  womb. 

14  I  will  thank  Thee  for  that  in  dread  fashion  I  am  wondrously  made 
"Wondrous  arc  Thy  works, 

And  my  soul  knows  [it]  well. 

15  My  bones  were  not  hid  from  Thee, 
When  I  was  made  in  secret, 

[And]  wrought  like  embroidery  [as]  in  the  depths  of  the  earth. 
382 


THE  PSALMS  383 


16  Thine  eyes  saw  my  shapeless  mass, 
And  in  Thy  book  were  they  all  written, 
The  days  [that]  were  fashioned, 

And  yet  there  was  not  one  among  them. 

17  And  to  me  how  precious  are  Thy  thoughts,  O  God, 
How  great  is  their  sum  ! 

18  Would  I  reckon  them,  they  outnumber  the  sand  ; 
I  awake — and  am  still  with  Thee. 

19  Oh,  if  Thou  wouldest  smite  the  wicked,  O  God  I 
— And  [ye]  men  of  blood,  depart  from  me, 

20  Who  rebel  against  Thee  with  wicked  deeds. 
They  lift  up  [themselves]  against  Thee  vainly  (?) 

21  Do  not  I  hate  them  which  hate  Thee,  Jehovah? 

And  am  not  I  grieved  with  those  who  rise  against  Thee  ? 

22  With  perfect  hatred  I  hate  them, 
They  are  counted  for  enemies  to  me. 

23  Search  me,  O  God,  and  know  my  heart, 
Try  me  and  know  my  thoughts, 

24  And  see  if  there  be  any  way  of  grief  in  mc, 
And  lead  me  in  a  way  everlasting. 

THIS  is  the  noblest  utterance  in  the  Psalter  of 
pure  contemplative  theism,  animated  and  not 
crushed  by  the  thought  of  God's  omniscience  and 
omnipresence.  No  less  striking  than  the  unequalled 
force  and  sublimity  with  which  the  psalm  hymns  the 
majestic  attributes  of  an  all-filling,  all-knowing,  all- 
creating  God,  is  the  firmness  with  which  the  singer's 
personal  relation  to  that  God  is  grasped.  Only  in  the 
last  verses  is  there  reference  to  other  men.  In  the 
earlier  parts  of  the  psalm,  there  are  but  two  beings  in 
the  universe — God  and  the  psalmist.  With  impressive 
reiteration,  God's  attributes  are  gazed  on  in  their  bear- 
ing on  him.  Not  mere  omniscience,  but  a  knowledge 
which  knows  him  altogether,  not  mere  omnipresence, 
but  a  presence  which  he  can  nowhere  escape,  not  mere 
creative  power,  but  a  power  which  shaped  him,  fill  and 
thrill  the  psalmist's  soul.     This  is  no  cold  theism,  but 


384  THE  PSALMS 


vivid  religion.  Conscience  and  the  consciousness  of 
individual  relation  to  God  penetrate  and  vitalise  the 
whole.  Hence  the  sudden  turn  to  prayer  against  evil 
men  and  for  the  singer's  direction  in  the  right  way, 
which  closes  the  hymn,  is  natural,  however  abrupt. 

The  course  of  thought  is  plain.  There  are  four  stro- 
phes of  six  verses  each, — of  which  the  first  (vv.  1-6) 
magnifies  God's  omniscience;  the  second  (vv.  7-12), 
His  omnipresence;  the  third  (vv.  13-18),  His  creative 
act,  as  the  ground  of  the  preceding  attributes  ;  and  the 
fourth  (vv.  19-24)  recoils  from  men  who  rebel  against 
such  a  God,  and  joyfully  submits  to  the  searching  of 
His  omniscient  eye,  and  the  guidance  of  His  ever- 
present  hand. 

The  psalmist  is  so  thoroughly  possessed  by  the  thought 
of  his  personal  relation  to  God  that  his  meditation 
spontaneously  takes  the  form  of  address  to  Him.  That 
form  adds  much  to  the  impressiveness,  but  is  no 
rhetorical  or  poetic  artifice.  Rather,  it  is  the  shape  in 
which  such  intense  consciousness  of  God  cannot  but 
utter  itself  How  cold  and  abstract  the  awestruck 
sentences  become,  if  we  substitute  *'  He  "  for  "  Thou," 
and  "  men  "  for  *'  I  "  and  "  me  "  !  The  first  overwhelm- 
ing thought  of  God's  relation  to  the  individual  soul  is 
that  He  completely  knows  the  whole  man.  "  Omni- 
science "  is  a  pompous  word,  which  leaves  us  unaffected 
by  either  awe  or  conscience.  But  the  psalmist's  God 
was  a  God  who  came  into  close  touch  with  him,  and  the 
psalmist's  religion  translated  the  powerless  generality 
of  an  attribute  referring  to  the  Divine  relation  to  the 
universe  into  a  continually  exercised  power  having 
reference  to  himself  He  utters  his  reverent  conscious- 
ness of  it  in  ver.  i  in  a  single  clause,  and  expands  that 
verse   in   the   succeeding  ones.     "  Thou  hast  searched 


cxxxix.]  THE   PSALMS  385 

mc  "  describes  a  process  of  minute  investigation  ;  "  and 
known  [me],"  its  result  in  complete  knowledge. 

That  knowledge  is  then  followed  out  in  various 
directions,  and  recognised  as  embracing  the  whole  man 
in  all  his  modes  of  action  and  repose,  in  all  his  inner 
and  outward  life.  Vv.  2  and  3  are  substantially 
parallel.  "  Down-sitting  "  and  "  up-rising  "  correspond 
to  "  walking  "  and  "  lying  down,"  and  both  antitheses 
express  the  contrast  between  action  and  rest.  "  My 
thought "  in  ver.  2  corresponds  to  "  my  ways "  in 
ver.  3, — the  former  referring  to  the  inner  life  of  thought, 
purpose,  and  will ;  the  latter  to  the  outward  activities 
which  carry  these  into  effect.  Ver.  3  is  a  climax  to 
ver.  2,  in  so  far  as  it  ascribes  a  yet  closer  and  more 
accurate  knowledge  to  God.  "  Thou  siftest  "  or  win- 
nowest  gives  a  picturesque  metaphor  for  careful  and 
judicial  scrutiny  which  discerns  wheat  from  chaff. 
'*  Thou  art  familiar "  implies  intimate  and  habitual 
knowledge.  But  thought  and  action  are  not  the  whole 
man.  The  power  of  speech,  which  the  Psalter  always 
treats  as  solemn  and  a  special  object  of  Divine  approval 
or  condemnation,  must  also  be  taken  into  account. 
Ver.  4  brings  it,  too,  under  God's  cognisance.  The  mean- 
ing may  either  be  that  "  There  is  no  word  on  my  tongue 
[which]  Thou  dost  not  know  altogether"  ;  or,  "  The  word 
is  not  yet  on  my  tongue,  [but]  lo  !  Thou  knowest,"  etc. 
"  Before  it  has  shaped  itself  on  the  tongue,  [much  less 
been  launched  from  it],  thou  knowest  all  its  secret 
history  "  (Kay). 

The  thought  that  God  knows  him  through  and 
through  blends  in  the  singer's  mind  with  the  other, 
that  God  surrounds  him  on  every  side.  Ver.  5  thus 
anticipates  the  thought  of  the  next  strophe,  but  presents 
it  rather  as  the  basis  of  God's  knowledge,  and  as  limit- 

voL.  HI.  25 


386  THE  PSALMS 


ing  man's  freedom.  But  the  psalmist  does  not  feel  that 
he  is  imprisoned,  or  that  the  hand  laid  on  him  is  heavy. 
Rather,  he  rejoices  in  the  defence  of  an  encompassing 
God,  who  shuts  off  evil  from  him,  as  well  as  shuts  him 
in  from  self-willed  and  self-determined  action  ;  and  he 
is  glad  to  be  held  by  a  hand  so  gentle  as  well  as  strong. 
"  Thou  God  seest  me "  may  either  be  a  dread  or  a 
blessed  thought.  It  may  paralyse  or  stimulate.  It 
should  be  the  ally  of  conscience,  and,  while  it  stirs  to 
all  noble  deeds,  should  also  emancipate  from  all  slavish 
fear.  An  exclamation  of  reverent  wonder  and  confes- 
sion of  the  limitation  of  human  comprehension  closes 
the  strophe. 

Why  should  the  thought  that  God  is  ever  with  the 
psalmist  be  put  in  the  shape  of  vivid  pictures  of  the 
impossibility  of  escape  from  Him  ?  It  is  the  sense  of 
sin  which  leads  men  to  hide  from  God,  like  Adam 
among  the  trees  of  the  garden.  The  psalmist  does  not 
desire  thus  to  flee,  but  he  supposes  the  case,  which 
would  be  only  too  common  if  men  realised  God's  know- 
ledge of  all  their  ways.  He  imagines  himself  reaching 
the  extremities  of  the  universe  in  vain  flight,  and 
stunned  by  finding  God  there.  The  utmost  possible 
height  is  coupled  with  the  utmost  possible  depth. 
Heaven  and  Sheol  equally  fail  to  give  refuge  from 
that  moveless  Face,  which  confronts  the  fugitive  in 
both,  and  fills  them  as  it  fills  all  the  intervening  dim 
distances.  The  dawn  flushes  the  east,  and  swiftly 
passes  on  roseate  wings  to  the  farthest  bounds  of 
the  Mediterranean,  which,  to  the  psalmist,  repre- 
sented the  extreme  west,  a  land  of  mystery.  In  both 
places  and  in  all  the  broad  lands  between,  the  fugitive 
would  find  himself  in  the  grasp  of  the  same  hand 
(compare  ver.    5). 


cxxxix.]  ,^  THE  PSALMS  387 

^ — ^_p _^ 

Darkness  is  the  friend  of  fugitives  from  men  ;  but  is 
transparent  to  God.  In  ver.  1 1  the  language  is  some- 
what obscure.  The  word  rendered  above  "  cover "  is 
doubtful,  as  the  Hebrew  text  reads  "  bruise,"  which  is 
quite  unsuitable  here.  Probably  there  has  been  textual 
error,  and  the  slight  correction  which  yields  the  above 
sense  is  to  be  adopted,  as  by  many  moderns.  The 
second  clause  of  the  verse  carries  on  the  supposition  of 
the  first,  and  is  not  to  be  regarded,  as  in  the  A.V.,  as 
stating  the  result  of  the  supposition,  or,  in  grammatical 
language,  the  apodosis.  That  begins  with  ver.  12,  and 
is  marked  there,  as  in  ver.  10,  by  "even." 

The  third  strophe  (vv.  13-18)  grounds  the  psalmist's 
relation  to  God  on  God's  creative  act.  The  mysteries 
of  conception  and  birth  naturally  struck  the  imagination 
of  non-scientific  man,  and  are  to  the  psalmist  the  direct 
result  of  Divine  power.  He  touches  them  with  poetic 
delicacy  and  devout  awe,  casting  a  veil  of  metaphor 
over  the  mystery,  and  losing  sight  of  human  parents 
in  the  clear  vision  of  the  Divine  Creator.  There  is 
room  for  his  thought  of  the  origin  of  the  indivi- 
dual life,  behind  modern  knowledge  of  embryology.  In 
ver.  13  the  word  rendered  in  the  A.V.  "possessed"  is 
.  better  understood  in  this  context  as  meaning  "  formed," 
and  that  rendered  there  "  covered "  (as  in  Psalm 
cxl.  7)  here  means  to  plait  or  weave  together,  and  pic- 
turesquely describes  the  interlacing  bones  and  sinews, 
as  in  Job  x.  11.  But  description  passes  into  adoration 
in  ver.  14.  Its  language  is  somewhat  obscure.  The 
verb  rendered  "  wondrously  made  "  probably  means  here 
"  selected  "  or  "  distinguished,"  and  represents  man  as 
the  chef  d'aiivre  of  the  Divine  Artificer.  The  psalmist 
cannot  contemplate  his  own  frame,  God's  workmanship, 
vvjthout  bn:.nkiiicr  into  thanks,  nor  without  bring  touched 


388  THE  PSALMS 


with  awe.     Every  man  carries  in  his  own  body  reasons 
enough  for  reverent  gratitude. 

The  word  for  "  bones  "  in  ver.  1 5  is  a  collective  noun, 
and  might  be  rendered  "  bony  framework."  The 
mysterious  receptacle  in  which  the  unborn  body  takes 
shape  and  grows  is  delicately  described  as  "secret,"  and 
likened  to  the  hidden  region  of  the  underworld,  where 
are  the  dead.  The  point  of  comparison  is  the  mystery 
enwrapping  both.  The  same  comparison  occurs  in 
Job's  pathetic  words,  "Naked  came  I  out  of  my 
mother's  womb,  and  naked  shall  I  return  thither."  It 
is  doubtful  whether  the  word  rendered  above  "wrought 
like  embroidery  "  refers  to  a  pattern  wrought  by  weaving 
or  by  needlework.  In  any  case,  it  describes  "the 
variegated  colour  of  the  individual  members,  especially 
of  the  viscera "  (Delitzsch).  The  mysteries  of  ante- 
natal being  are  still  pursued  in  ver.  16,  which  is 
extremely  obscure.  It  is,  however,  plain  that  a  sets 
forth  the  Divine  knowledge  of  man  in  his  first  rudiments 
of  corporeity.  "  My  shapeless  mass "  is  one  word, 
meaning  anything  rolled  up  in  a  bundle  or  ball.  But 
in  b  it  is  doubtful  what  is  referred  to  in  "  they  all." 
Strictly,  the  word  should  point  back  to  something  pre- 
viously mentioned;  and  hence  the  A.V.  and  R.V.  suppose 
that  the  "  shapeless  mass "  is  thought  of  as  resolved 
into  its  component  parts,  and  insert  "  my  members  "  ; 
but  it  is  better  to  recognise  a  slight  irregularit}'  here, 
and  to  refer  the  word  to  the  "  days "  immediately 
spoken  of,  which  existed  in  the  Divine  foreknowledge 
long  before  they  had  real  objective  existence  in  the 
actual  world.  The  last  clause  of  the  verse  is  capable 
of  two  different  meanings,  according  as  the  Hebrew 
text  or  margin  is  followed.  This  is  one  of  a  number 
of  cases  in  which  there  is  a  doubt  whether  we  should 


THE  PSALMS  389 


read  "  not "  or  "  to  him  "  (or  "  it ").  The  Hebrew 
words  having  these  meanings  are  each  of  two  letters, 
the  initial  one  being  the  same  in  both,  and  both  words 
having  the  same  sound.  Confusion  might  easily  there- 
fore arise,  and  as  a  matter  of  fact  there  are  numerous 
cases  in  which  the  text  has  the  one  and  the  margin  the 
other  of  these  two  words.  Here,  if  we  adhere  to  the 
text,  we  read  the  negative,  and  then  the  force  of  the 
clause  is  to  declare  emphatically  that  the  "  da3's  "  were 
written  in  God's  book,  and  in  a  real  sense  "  fashioned," 
when  as  yet  they  had  not  been  recorded  in  earth's 
calendars.  If,  on  the  other  hand,  the  marginal  reading 
is  preferred,  a  striking  meaning  is  obtained  :  *'  And  for 
it  [i.e.,  for  the  birth  of  the  shapeless  mass]  there  was 
one  among  them  [predestined  in  God's  book]." 

In  vv.  17,  18,  the  poet  gathers  together  and  crowns 
all  his  previous  contemplations  by  the  consideration 
that  this  God,  knowing  him  altogether,  ever  near  him, 
and  Former  of  his  being,  has  great  "thoughts"  or 
purposes  affecting  him  individually.  That  assurance 
makes  omniscience  and  omnipresence  joys,  and  not 
terrors.  The  root  meaning  of  the  word  rendered 
"  precious  "  is  weighty.  The  singer  would  weigh  God's 
thoughts  towards  him,  and  finds  that  they  weigh  down 
his  scales.  He  would  number  them,  and  finds  that  they 
pass  his  enumeration.  It  is  the  same  truth  of  the 
transcendent  greatness  and  graciousness  of  God's  pur- 
poses as  is  conveyed  in  Isaiah's  "  As  the  heavens  are 
higher  than  the  earth,  so  are  .  .  .  My  thoughts  than 
your  thoughts."  "  I  awake,  and  am  still  with  Thee," — 
this  is  an  artless  expression  of  the  psalmist's  blessed- 
ness in  realising  God's  continual  nearness.  He  awakes 
from  sleep,  and  is  conscious  of  glad  wonder  to  find  that, 
like  a  tender  mother  by  her  slumbering  child,  God  has 


390  THE  PSALMS 


been  watching  over  him,  and  that  all  the  blessed  com- 
munion of  past  days  abides  as  before. 

The  fiery  hatred  of  evil  and  evil  men  which  burns 
in  the  last  strophe  offends  many  and  startles  more. 
But  while  the  vehement  prayer  that  "  Thou  wouldest 
slay  the  wicked  "  is  not  in  a  Christian  tone,  the  recoil 
from  those  who  could  raise  themselves  against  such  a 
God  is  the  necessary  result  of  the  psalmist's  delight  in 
Him.  Attraction  and  repulsion  are  equal  and  contrary. 
The  measure  of  our  cleaving  to  that  which  is  good,  and 
to  Him  who  is  good,  settles  the  measure  of  our  abhor- 
rence of  that  which  is  evil.  The  abrupt  passing  from 
petition  in  ver.  19  «  to  command  in  b  has  been  smoothed 
away  by  a  slight  alteration  which  reads,  "And  that 
men  of  blood  would  depart  from  me  "  ;  but  the  variation 
in  tense  is  more  forcible,  and  corresponds  with  the 
speaker's  strong  emotion.  He  cannot  bear  companion- 
ship with  rebels  against  God.  His  indignation  has  no 
taint  of  personal  feeling,  but  is  pure  zeal  for  God's 
honour. 

Ver.  20  presents  difficulties.  The  word  rendered 
in  the  A.V.  and  R.V.  (text)  "  speak  against  Thee  "  is 
peculiarly  spelt  if  this  is  its  meaning,  and  its  construc- 
tion is  anomalous.  Probably,  therefore,  the  rendering 
should  be  as  above.  That  meaning  does  not  require 
a  change  of  consonants,  but  only  of  vowel  points.  The 
difficulty  of  the  last  clause  lies  mainly  in  the  word  trans- 
lated in  the  A.V.  adversaries  and  in  the  R.V.  *^  enemies." 
That  meaning  is  questionable ;  and  if  the  word  is  the 
nominative  to  the  verb  in  the  clause,  the  construction 
is  awkward,  since  the  preceding  "who"  would  naturally 
extend  its  infiuence  to  this  clause.  Textual  emendation 
has  been  resorted  to  ;  the  simplest  form  of  which  is 
to  read  "  against   Thee "    for   *'  Thine  adversaries,"   a 


cxxxix.]  THE  PSALMS  391 


change  of  one  letter.  Another  form  of  emendation, 
which  is  adopted  by  Cheyne  and  Graetz,  substitutes 
**  Thy  name,"  and  reads  the  whole,  "  And  pronounce 
Thy  name  for  falsehoods."  Delitzsch  adheres  to  the 
reading  '*  adversaries,"  and  by  a  harsh  ellipsis  makes 
the  whole  to  run,  **  Who  pronounce  [TJiy  name]  deceit- 
fully— Thine  adversaries." 

The  vindication  of  the  psalmist's  indignation  lies  in 
vv.  21,  22.  That  soul  must  glow  with  fervent  love  to 
God  which  feels  wrong  done  to  His  majesty  with  as 
keen  a  pain  as  if  it  were  itself  struck.  What  God  says 
to  those  who  love  Him,  they  in  their  degree  say  to 
God  :  "  He  that  toucheth  Thee  toucheth  the  apple  of 
mine  eye."  True,  hate  is  not  the  Christian  requital  of 
hate,  whether  that  is  directed  against  God  or  God's 
servant.  But  recoil  there  must  be,  if  there  is  any 
vigour  of  devotion  ;  only,  pity  and  love  must  mingle 
with  it,  and  the  evil  of  hatred  be  overcome  by  their 
good. 

Very  beautifully  does  the  lowly  prayer  for  searching 
and  guidance  follow  the  ])salmist's  burst  of  fire.  It  is 
easier  to  glow  with  indignation  against  evil-doers  than  ^ 
to  keep  oneself  from  doing  evil.  Many  secret  sins  may  - 
hide  under  a  cloak  of  zeal  for  the  Lord.  So  the 
psalmist  prays  that  God  would  search  him,  not  because 
he  fancies  that  there  is  no  lurking  sin  to  l)e  burned  by 
the  light  of  God's  eye,  like  vermin  that  nestle  and 
multiply  under  stones  and  shrivel  when  the  sunbeams 
strike  them,  but  because  he  dreads  that  there  is,  and 
would  fain  have  it  cast  out.  The  psalm  began  with 
declaring  that  Jehovah  had  searched  and  known  the 
singer,  and  it  ends  with  asking  for  that  searching 
knowledge. 

It  makes  much  difference,  not  indeed  in  the  reality 


392  THE  PSALMS 


or  completeness  of  God's  knowledge  of  us,  but  in  the 
good  we  derive  therefrom,  whether  we  welcome  and 
submit  to  it,  or  try  to  close  our  trembling  hearts,  that 
do  not  wish  to  be  cleansed  of  their  perilous  stuff,  from 
that  loving  and  purging  gaze.  God  will  cleanse  the 
evil  which  He  sees,  if  we  are  willing  that  He  should 
see  it.  Thoughts  of  the  inner  life  and  "  ways  "  of  the 
outer  are  equally  to  be  submitted  to  Him.  There  are 
two  "  ways  "  in  which  men  can  walk.  The  one  is  a 
"  way  of  grief  or  pain,"  because  that  is  its  terminus. 
All  sin  is  a  blunder.  And  the  inclination  to  such  ways 
is  "  in  me,"  as  every  man  who  has  dealt  honestly  with 
himself  knows.  The  other  is  "  a  way  everlasting,"  a 
way  which  leads  to  permanent  good,  which  continues 
uninterrupted  through  the  vicissitudes  of  life,  and  even 
(though  that  was  not  in  the  psalmist's  mind)  through 
the  darkness  of  death,  and  with  ever  closer  approxima- 
tion to  its  goal  in  God,  through  the  cycles  of  eternity. 
And  that  way  is  not  "  in  me,"  but  I  must  be  led  into 
and  in  it  by  the  God  who  knows  me  altogether  and  is 
ever  with  me,  to  keep  my  feet  in  the  way  of  life,  if  I 
will  hold  the  guiding  hand  which  He  lays  upon  me. 


PSALM    CXL. 

1  Deliver  me,  Jehovah,  from  the  evil  man. 
From  the  man  of  violence  guard  me, 

2  Who  plot  evils  in  heart. 
Every  day  they  stir  up  wars. 

3  They  have  sharpened  their  tongue  like  a  serpent. 
Adders'  poison  is  under  their  lips.     Selah. 

4  Keep  me,  Jehovah,  from  the  hands  of  the  wicked  man, 
From  the  man  of  violences  guard  me, 

Who  have  plotted  to  overthrow  my  steps. 

5  The  proud  have  hidden  a  snare  for  me  and  cords, 
Tliey  have  spread  a  net  hard  by  the  path. 

They  have  set  gins  for  me.     Selah. 

6  I  said  to  Jehovah,  My  God  art  Thou, 

Give  ear,  Jehovah,  to  the  voice  of  my  supplications. 

7  Jehovah,  Lord,  my  stronghold  of  salvation  ! 
Thou  hast  covered  my  head  in  the  day  of  battle 

8  Grant  not,  Jeho\ah,  the  desires  of  the  wicked, 
Further  not  his  plan.     Selah. 

9  They  who  compass  me  about  lift  up  the  head — 
The  mischief  of  their  own  lips  cover  them  ! 

10  [Jehovah]  rain  hot  coals  on  them  !  (?) 
Let  Him  cause  them  to  fall  into  fire, 
Into  floods,  that  they  rise  no  more ! 

1 1  The  man  with  a  [slanderous]  tongue  shall  not  continue 

on  earth  ; 
The  m.an  of  violence — evil  shall  hunt  him  with   blow 
upon  blow. 

12  I  know  that  Jehovah  will  maintain  the  cause  of  the 

afllictcd, 
The  right  of  the  needy. 

13  Surely  the  righteous  shall  thank  Thy  name, 
The  upright  shall  dwell  with  Thy  face. 

393 


3$4  THE  PSALMS 


IN  tone  and  contents  this  psalm  has  many  parallels 
in  the  earlier  books,  especially  among  the  psalms 
ascribed  to  David.  Its  originality  lies  principally  in  its 
use  of  peculiar  words,  and  in  the  extreme  obscurity  of 
a  part  of  it.  The  familiar  situation  of  a  man  ringed 
about  by  slanderous  enemies,  the  familiar  metaphors  of 
snares  and  traps,  the  familiar  venture  of  faith  Hinging 
itself  into  God's  arms  for  refuge,  the  familiar  prayers 
for  retribution,  are  all  here.  One  cannot  argue  about 
impressions,  but  the  present  writer  receives  the  impres- 
sion strongly  from  the  psalm  that  it  is  cast  in  the 
Davidic  manner  by  a  later  singer,  and  is  rather  an  echo 
than  an  original  voice,  while,  no  doubt,  the  feelings 
expressed,  both  of  distress  and  of  confidence,  are  none 
the  less  felt  by  the  singer,  though  he  falls  back  on 
familiar  forms  for  their  expression. 

The  arrangement  is  in  four  strophes  of  approximately 
equal  length,  the  first  and  third  of  which  consist  of 
three  verses  of  two  clauses  each,  while  the  fourth  is 
abnormally  elongated  by  having  three  clauses  in  ver.  lO, 
and  the  second  (vv.  4,  5)  has  two  verses  of  three  clauses 
each.  Selah  again  appears  as  dividing  the  strophes, 
but  is  omitted  at  the  end  of  the  fourth,  to  which  a 
closing  strophe  of  two  verses  is  appended. 

The  first  two  strophes  (vv.  1-3  and  4,  5)  cover  the 
same  ground.  Both  set  forth  the  psalmist's  need,  and 
plead  for  deliverance.  The  first  verse  of  the  second 
strophe  (ver.  4)  is  almost  identical  with  ver.  i.  Both 
paint  the  psalmist's  enemies  as  evil  and  violent,  plotting 
against  him  privily.  The  only  difference  in  the  two 
strophes  is  in  the  metaphors  describing  the  foes  and 
their  devices,  and  in  the  prominence  given  in  the  first 
to  their  slanderous  and  sharp  tongues.  The  forms  of 
their  malice  are  like  those  in  earlier  psalms.     A  cha- 


cxl.]  THE  PSALMS  395 

racteristic  of  the  Psalter  is  the  prominence"  given  to 
hostility  which  has  but  bitter  speech  for  its  weapon 
(Psalm  X.  7,  Iviii.  4).  The  slanderer's  tongue  is  sharp 
like  a  serpent's,  with  which  the  popular  opinion  supposed 
that  the  venom  was  injected.  The  particular  kind  ot 
serpent  meant  in  ver.  3  a  is  doubtful,  as  the  word  is 
only  found  here. 

The  figures  for  hostility  in  the  second  strophe  are  the 
other  equally  familiar  ones  of  setting  snares  and  traps- 
The  contrivers  are  here  called  "  proud,"  since  their 
hostility  to  God's  servant  implies  haughty  antagonism 
to  God.  But  they  are  not  too  proud  to  resort  to  tricks. 
Cunning  and  pride  do  not  go  well  together,  but  they 
are  united  in  these  enemies,  who  spread  a  net  "  by  the 
hand  of  the  path." 

In  the  third  strophe,  Faith  rouses  itself  to  lay  hold 
on  God.  The  psalmist  turns  from  contemplating  what 
his  foes  are  doing,  to  realise  what  Jehovah  is  to  him, 
and  is  wont  to  do  for  him.  Since  He  is  the  singer's 
God  and  protects  him  in  all  conflict,  he  "  finds  it  in  his 
heart "  to  ask  confidently  that  the  plots  of  the  loe  may 
be  wrecked.  Consciousness  of  danger  drove  the  poet 
in  the  former  strophes  to  prayer ;  Jehovah's  character 
and  loving  relations  to  him  draw  him,  in  this  one. 

"The  day  of  battle  "  is  literally  "  the  day  of  armour  " 
— when  weapons  clash  and  helmets  are  fitting  wear. 
Then  Jehovah  will  be  as  a  head-piece  to  him,  for  He 
always  gives  the  shape  to  His  help  which  is  required 
at  the  moment.  The  words  in  ver.  8  for  "  desires " 
and  "  plan "  are  found  here  only. 

The  text  here  is  evidently  in  some  disorder,  antl  the 
word  which  is  now  awkwardly  attached  to  the  end  of 
ver.  8  is  by  most  commentators  carried  over  to  ver.  9. 
The  change  of  position  clears  away  difficulties  in  both 


396  THE  PSALMS 


verses,  but  a  considerable  crop  remains  in  this  fourth 
strophe.  The  language  becomes  gnarled  and  obscure 
under  the  stress  of  the  poet's  emotion,  as  he  prays  for 
the  destruction  of  his  persecutors.  If  the  transference 
of  the  word  from  ver.  8  to  ver.  9  is  accepted,  that  verse 
describes  in  vivid  fashion  what  in  prose  would  have 
been  cast  into  the  form  of,  "  JV/icn  my  encompassers 
lift  up  the  head  [t.c,  in  proud  assault],  then"  etc.  The 
psalmist  omits  the  particles  which  would  give  a  hypo- 
thetical form,  and  prefers  to  set  the  two  things  side  by 
side,  and  leave  sympathetic  readers  to  feel  their  con- 
nection. Ver.  10  is  very  obscure.  According  to  the 
Hebrew  text,  the  first  clause  would  have  to  be  rendered, 
"  Let  coals  be  thrown  on  them  "  ;  but  such  a  render- 
ing is  "contrary  to  the  usage  of  the  language."  The 
Hebrew  margin,  therefore,  corrects  into,  "  Let  them 
\_i.c.,  men  indefinitely]  cast  down  coals "  ;  but  this  is 
harsh,  and  the  office  is  strange  as  one  attributed  to  men. 
The  emendation  which  finds  favour  with  most  moderns 
substitutes  for  the  inappropriate  verb  of  the  present 
text  that  which  is  used  in  precisely  the  same  connec- 
tion in  Psalm  xi.  6,  and  gives  the  reading,  "  Let  Him 
[/.t'.,  Jehovah]  rain  coals  on  them."  The  following 
clause  then  swiftly  adds  another  element  of  horror. 
Fire  rains  down  from  above ;  fire  yawns  below.  They 
are  beaten  down  by  the  burning  storm,  and  they  fall 
into  a  mass  of  flame.  The  noun  in  ver.  loc  is  found 
only  here,  and  is  by  some  rendered  "  pits,"  by  others 
"floods,"  and  by  others  is  corrected  into  "nets."  If 
"  floods  "  is  taken  as  the  meaning,  destruction  by  water 
is  set  by  the  side  of  that  by  fire,  as  if  the  antagonistic 
elements  forgot  their  opposition  and  joined  in  strange 
amity  to  sweep  the  wicked  from  the  earth.  The  terrible 
strophe    ends    with    the    assured    declaration    of    the 


cxl.]  THE   PSALMS  397 

Divinely  appointed  transiency  of  the  evil-doers,  espe- 
cially of  the  slanderers  against  whom  the  psalmist 
took  refuge  in  Jehovah,  They  shall  be  soon  cut  off, 
and  the  hunters  (ver.  5)  shall  become  the  hunted. 
"  Evil  " — i.e.,  the  punishment  of  their  evil  deeds — shall 
dog  their  heels,  and  witli  stroke  after  stroke  chase  them 
as  dogs  would  follow  vermin. 

In  vv.  13,  14,  the  poet  comes  back  to  brighter 
thoughts,  and  his  words  become  limpid  again  with 
his  change  of  mood.  lie  "knows,"  as  the  result  of 
meditation  and  experience,  that  not  only  he,  but  all 
the  afflicted  and  needy,  who  are  righteous  and  upright, 
have  God  on  their  side.  He  will  stand  by  their  side  in 
their  hour  of  distress  ;  He  will  admit  them  to  dwell  by 
His  side,  in  deep,  still  communion,  made  more  real  and 
sweet  by  the  harassments  of  earth,  which  drive  them 
for  shelter  and  peace  to  His  breast.  That  confidence 
is  a  certitude  for  the  psalmist.  He  announces  it  with 
an  "I  know,"  and  seals  it  with  a  "surely."  Such  is 
the  issue  of  trouble  which  was  spread  before  Jehovah, 
and  vented  itself  in  prayer. 


PSALM    CXLI. 

1  Jehovah,  I  have  called  on  Thee  ;  haste  to  me, 
Give  ear  to  my  voice  when  I  call  to  Thee. 

2  Let  my  prayer  appear  before  Thee  [as]  incense, 
The  lifting  up  of  my  hands  [as]  an  evening  sacrifice. 

3  Set  a  watch,  Jehovah,  before  my  mouth, 
Keep  guard  over  the  door  of  my  lips. 

4  Incline  not  my  heart  to  any  evil  thing. 

To  practise  wicked  practices  with  men  that  work  iniquitj- ; 
And  let  me  not  eat  of  their  dainties. 

5  Let  the  righteous  smite  me  in  kindness  and  reprove  me, 
[Such]  oil  for  the  head  shall  not  my  head  refuse. 

Forsoisit  that  my  prayer  shall  continue  in  their  wickednesses.  (?) 

6  Their  judges  are  thrown  down  by  the  sides  of  the  cliff,  (?) 
And  they  hear  my  sayings,  that  they  are  sweet.   (?) 

7  As  a  man  ploughing  and  cleaving  the  earth, 
Our  bones  are  strewn  at  the  mouth  of  Sheol. 

8  For  toward  Thee,  Jehovah,  Lord,  are  mine  eyes  [turned]; 
In  Thee  do  I  take  refuge — pour  not  out  my  soul. 

9  Keep  me  from  the  hands  of  the  snare  which  they  have  laid  for  me, 
And  from  the  gins  of  the  doers  of  iniquity. 

10  May  the  wicked  fall  into  their  own  nets, 
Whilst  at  the  same  time  I  pass  by  ! 

PART  of  this  psalm  is  hopelessly  obscure,  and  the 
connection  is  difficult  throughout.  It  is  a  prayer  of 
a  harassed  soul,  tempted  to  slacken  its  hold  on  God,  and 
therefore  betaking  itself  to  Him.  Nothing  more  definite 
as  to  author  or  occasion  can  be  said  with  certainty. 

The  allusions  in  vv.  6,  7,  are  dark  to  us,  and  the 
psalm  must,  in  many  parts,  remain  an  enigma.  Pro- 
bably Bacthgcn  and  Cheyne  are  wise  in  giving  up  the 
attempt  to  extract  any  intelligible  meaning  from  ver.  5  c 

39S 


cxli.]  THE  PSALMS  399 

and  ver.  6  as  the  words  stand,  and  falling  back  on 
asterisks.  Delitzsch  regards  the  psalm  as  being  com- 
posed as  suitable  to  "a  Davidic  situation,"  either  by 
David  himself,  or  by  some  one  who  wished  to  give 
expression  in  strains  like  David's  to  David's  probable 
mood.  It  would  thus  be  a  "  Dramatic  Idyll,"  referring, 
according  to  Delitzsch,  to  Absalom's  revolt.  Ver.  2  is 
taken  by  him  to  allude  to  the  king's  absence  from  the 
sanctuary,  and  the  obscure  ver.  6,  to  the  fate  of  the 
leaders  of  the  revolt  and  the  return  of  the  mass  of 
the  people  to  loyal  submission.  But  this  is  a  very 
precarious  reference. 

The  psalm  begins  with  the  cry  to  God  to  hear,  which 
so  often  forms  the  introduction  to  psalms  of  complaint 
and  supplications  for  deliverance.  But  here  a  special 
colouring  is  given  by  the  petition  that  the  psalmist's 
prayers  may  be  equivalent  to  incense  and  sacrifice. 
It  does  not  follow  that  he  was  shut  out  from  outward 
participation  in  worship,  but  only  that  he  had  learned 
what  that  worship  meant.  "  Appear  "  might  be  ren- 
dered "  established."  The  word  means  to  be  set  firm, 
or,  reflexively,  to  station  oneself,  and  hence  is  taken 
by  some  as  equivalent  to  "  appear  "  or  "  come  "  before 
Thee ;  while  others  give  prominence  rather  to  the 
notion  of  stability  in  the  word,  and  take  it  to  mean 
continue — i.e.,  be  accepted.  There  may  be  a  reference 
to  the  morning  sacrifice  in  the  "  incense,"  so  that  both 
morning  and  evening  ritual  would  be  included  ;  but  it 
is  more  natural  to  think  of  the  evening  incense,  accom- 
panying the  evening  "  meal  offering,"  and  to  suppose 
that  the  psalm  is  an  evening  prayer.  The  penetrating 
insight  into  the  realities  of  spiritual  worship  which 
the  singer  has  gained  is  more  important  to  note  than 
such  questions  about  the  scope  of  his  figures; 


400  THE  PSALMS 


The  prayer  in  vv.  3,  4,  is  for  deliverance  not  from 
dangers,  but  from  temptation  to  sin  in  word  or  deed. 
The  psalmist  is  not  suffering  from  the  hostility  of  the 
workers  of  iniquit}',  but  dreads  becoming  infected  with 
their    sin.     This    phase    of    trial    was    not    David's    in 
Absalom's  revolt,  and  the  prominence  given  to  it  here 
makes  Delitzsch's    view  of  the    psalm   very    doubtful. 
An  earlier  psalmist  had  vowed  to  "  put  a  muzzle  on 
his  mouth,"  but  a  man's  own  guard  over  his  words  will 
fail,  unless  God  keeps  the  keeper,  and,  as  it  were,  sets 
a  sentry  to  watch  the  lips.     The  prayer  for  strength 
to  resist  temptation  to  wrong  acts,  which  follows  that 
against  wrong  speech,  is  curiously  loaded  with  synony- 
mous terms.     The  psalmist  asks  that  his  heart,  which 
is  but  too  apt  to  feel  the  risings  of  inclination  to  fall 
in  with  the  manners  around  him,  may  be  stiffened  into 
wholesome  loathing  of  every  evil — "  To  practise  prac- 
tices in  wickedness  with  men  [perhaps,  gnat  men']  who 
work    iniquity."      The    clause    rather   drags,    and    the 
proposed  insertion  of  "Let  me  not  sit "  before  "with 
men    that   work    iniquity "    lightens    the   weight,    and 
supplies  a  good  parallel  with  "  Let  me  not  eat  of  their 
dainties."     It  is,  however,  purely  conjectural,  and  the 
existing   reading   is    intelligible,   though  hcav}'.       The 
psalmist  wishes  to  keep  clear  of  association  with  the 
corrupt  society  around  him,  and  desires  to  be  preserved 
from  temptations  to  fall  in  with  its  luxurious  sensuality, 
lest  thereby  he  should  slide  into  imitation  of  its  sins. 
He    chose  plain    living,    because    he    longed    for    high 
thinking,  and  noble  doing,  and  grave,  reverend  speech. 
All    this   points    to   a    period   when    the   world    fought 
against  goodness  by  proffering  vulgar  delights,  rather 
than  by  persecution.     Martyrs  have  little  need  to  pray 
that  they  may  not   be  tempted   by  persecutors'  feasts. 


cxli.]  THE  PSALMS  401 

This  man  "  scorned  delights  "  and  chose  to  dwell  with 
good  men. 

The  connection  of  ver.  5  with  the  preceding  seems 
to  be  that  in  it  the  psalmist  professes  his  preference 
for  the  companionship  of  the  righteous,  even  if  they 
reprove  him.  It  is  better,  in  his  judgment,  to  have 
the  wholesome  correction  of  the  righteous  than  to  feast 
with  the  wicked.  But  while  this  is  the  bearing  of 
the  first  part  of  the  verse,  the  last  clause  is  obscure, 
almost  to  unintelligibility,  and  even  the  earlier  ones 
are  doubtful.  If  the  Hebrew  accents  are  adhered  to, 
the  rendering  above  must  be  adopted.  The  division 
of  clauses  and  rendering  adopted  by  Hupfcld  and 
many  others,  and  in  the  A.V.  and  R.V.,  gives  vividness, 
but  requires  "  it  shall  be  "  to  be  twice  supplied.  The 
whole  sentence  seems  to  run  more  smoothly,  if  the 
above  translation  is  accepted.  "  Oil  for  the  head  "  is 
that  with  which  the  head  is  anointed  as  for  a  feast ;  and 
there  is  probably  a  tacit  suggestion  of  a  better  festival, 
spread  in  the  austere  abodes  of  the  righteous  poor,  than 
on  the  tables  loaded  with  the  dainties  of  the  wicked  rich. 

But  what  is  the  meaning  and  bearing  of  the  last 
clause  of  ver.  5  ?  No  wholly  satisfactory  answer  has 
been  given.  It  is  needless  here  to  travel  through  the 
various  more  or  less  violent  and  unsuccessful  attempts 
to  unravel  the  obscurities  of  this  clause  and  of  the 
next  verse.  One  sympathises  with  Hupfeld's  confes- 
sion that  it  is  an  unwelcome  {saner)  task  to  him  to 
quote  the  whirl  of  varying  conjectures.  The  rendering 
adopted  above,  as,  on  the  whole,  the  least  unlikely,  is 
substantially  Delitzsch's.  It  means  that  the  psalmist 
"  will  oppose  no  weapon  but  prayer  to  his  enemies' 
wickedness,  and  is  therefore  in  the  spiritual  mood 
susceptible  to  well-meaning  reproof."  The  logic  of 
VOL.  III.  26 


402  THE  PSALMS 


the  clause  is  not  very  clear,  even  with  this  explana- 
tion. The  psalmist's  continuance  in  prayer  against  the 
wicked  is  not  very  obviously  a  reason  for  his  accepting 
kindly  rebuke.     But  no  better  explanation  is  proposed. 

The  darkness  thickens  in  ver.  6.  The  words  indeed 
are  all  easily  translatable  ;  but  what  the  whole  sentence 
means,  or  what  an  allusion  to  the  destruction  of  some 
unnamed  people's  rulers  has  to  do  here,  or  who  they 
are  who  hear  the  psalmist's  words,  are  questions  as 
yet  unanswered.  To  cast  men  down  "  by  the  sides 
[lit.,  hands]  of  a  rock  "  is  apparently  an  expression  for 
the  cruel  punishment  mentioned  as  actually  inflicted  on 
ten  thousand  of  the  "  children  of  Seir  "  (2  Chron.  xxv. 
12).  Those  who,  with  Delitzsch,  take  the  revolt  under 
Absalom  to  be  the  occasion  of  the  psalm,  find  in  the 
casting  down  of  these  judges  an  imaginative  description 
of  the  destruction  of  the  leaders  of  the  revolt,  who  are 
supposed  to  be  hurled  down  the  rocks  by  the  people 
whom  they  had  misled  ;  while  the  latter,  having  again 
come  to  their  right  mind,  attend  to  David's  word,  and 
find  it  pleasant  and  beneficent.  But  this  explanation 
requires  much  supplementing  of  the  language,  and 
does  not  touch  the  difficulty  of  bringing  the  verse  into 
connection  with  the  preceding. 

Nor  is  the  connection  with  what  follows  more  clear. 
A  various  reading  substitutes  "  Their "  for  "  Our  "  in 
ver.  7,  and  so  makes  the  whole  verse  a  description  of 
the  bones  of  the  ill-fated  "judges"  lying  in  a  litter  at 
the  base  of  the  precipice.  But  apparently  the  reading 
is  merely  an  attempt  to  explain  the  difficulty.  Clearly 
enough  the  verse  gives  an  extraordinarily  energetic  and 
graphic  picture  of  a  widespread  slaughter.  But  who 
are  the  slain,  and  what  event  or  events  in  the  history 
of  Israel    are   here   imaginatively  reproduced,  is  quite 


cxii.l  THE  PSALMS  403 

unknown.  All  that  is  certain  is  the  tremendous  force 
of  the  representation,  the  ^schylean  ruggedness  of 
the  metaphor,  and  the  desperate  condition  to  which  it 
witnesses.  The  point  of  the  figure  lies  in  the  resem- 
blance of  the  bones  strewn  at  the  mouth  of  Sheol  to 
broken  clods  turned  up  by  a  plough.  Sheol  seems 
here  to  waver  between  the  meanings  of  the  unseen 
world  of  souls  and  the  grave.  The  unburied  bones  of 
slaughtered  saints  "  lie  scattered,"  as  unregarded  as 
the  lumps  of  soil  behind  the  ploughman. 

In  vv.  8-10  the  familiar  psalm-tone  recurs,  and  the 
language  clears  itself  The  stream  has  been  foaming 
among  rocks  in  a  gorge,  but  it  has  emerged  into  sunlight, 
and  flows  smoothly.  Only  the  "  For  "  at  the  beginning 
of  ver.  8  is  difficult,  if  taken  to  refer  to  the  immediately 
preceding  verses.  Rather,  it  overleaps  the  obscure 
middle  part  of  the  psalm,  and  links  on  to  the  peti- 
tions of  vv.  1-4.  Patient,  trustful  expectance  is  the 
psalmist's  temper,  which  gazes  not  interrogatively,  but 
with  longing  which  is  sure  of  satisfaction,  towards  God, 
from  amidst  the  temptations  or  sorrows  of  earth.  The 
reason  for  that  fixed  look  of  faith  lies  in  the  Divine 
names,  so  rich  in  promise,  which  are  here  blended  in 
an  unusual  combination.  The  devout  heart  pleads  its 
own  act  of  faith  in  conjunction  with  God's  names,  and 
is  sure  that,  since  He  is  Jehovah,  Lord,  it  cannot  be 
vain  to  hide  oneself  in  Him.  Therefore,  the  singer 
prays  for  preservation  from  destruction.  "  Pour  not 
out  my  soul"  recalls  Isa.  liii.  12,  where  the  same  vivid 
metaphor  is  used.  The  prayer  of  the  earlier  verses 
was  for  protection  from  temptation ;  here,  circumstances 
have  darkened,  and  the  psalmist's  life  is  in  danger. 
Possibly  the  "  snares  "  and  "  gins  "  of  ver.  9  mean  both 
temptations  and  perils. 


404  THE  PSALMS 


The  final  petition  in  ver.  lO  is  like  many  in  earlier 
psalms.  It  was  a  fundamental  article  of  faith  for  all 
the  psalmists  that  a  great  Lex  Talionis  was  at  work,  by 
which  every  sin  was  avenged  in  kind ;  and  if  one  looks 
deeper  than  the  outside  of  life,  the  faith  is  eternally 
warranted.  For  nothing  is  more  certain  than  that, 
whomsoever  else  a  man  may  harm  by  his  sin,  he  harms 
himself  most.  Nets  woven  and  spread  for  others  may 
or  may  not  ensnare  them,  but  their  meshes  cling  in- 
extricably round  the  feet  of  their  author,  and  their 
tightening  folds  will  wrap  him  helpless,  like  a  fly  in  a 
spider's  web.  The  last  clause  presents  some  difficulties. 
The  word  rendered  above  "  at  the  same  time "  is 
literally  "  together,"  but  seems  to  be  used  here,  as  in 
Psalm  iv.  8  {at  once),  with  the  meaning  of  simtdtaiicously. 
The  two  things  are  co-temporancous — the  enemies' 
ensnaring  and  the  psalmist's  escape.  The  clause  is 
abnormal  in  its  order  of  words.  It  stands  thus:  "At 
the  same  time  I,  while  [until]  I  pass  b3^"  Probably 
the  irregularity  arose  from  a  desire  to  put  the  emphatic 
word  "at  the  same  time"  in  the  prominent  place.  It 
is  doubtful  whether  we  should  translate  "  while  "  or 
"  until."  Authorities  are  divided,  and  either  meaning 
is  allowable.  But  though  the  rendering  until  gives 
picturesqueness  to  the  representation  of  the  snared 
foe  restrained  and  powerless,  until  his  hoped-for  prey 
walks  calmly  through  the  toils,  the  same  idea  is  con- 
veyed by  "  while^"  and  that  rendering  avoids  the  impli- 
cation that  the  snaring  lasted  only  as  long  as  the  time 
taken  for  the  psalmist's  escape.  What  is  uppermost 
in  the  psalmist's  mind  is,  in  any  case,  not  the  destruc- 
tion of  his  enemies,  but  their  being  made  powerless  to 
prevent  his  "  passing  by  "  their  snares  uncaptured. 


PSALM    CXLII. 

1  With  my  voice  to  Jehovah  will  I  cr\', 

With  my  voice  to  Jehovah  will  I  make  supplication. 

2  I  will  pour  out  before  Him  my  complaint, 
My  straits  before  Him  will  I  declare. 

3  When  my  spirit  wraps  itself  in  gloom  upon  me, 
Then  Thou — Thou  knowest  my  path  ; 

In  the  way  wherein  I  have  to  go 
They  have  hidden  a  snare  for  me. 

4  Look  on  the  right  hand  and  see, 
There  is  none  that  knows  me, 
Shelter  is  perished  from  me. 

There  is  no  one  that  makes  inquiry  after  my  soul. 

5  I  have  cried  unto  Thee,  Jehovah, 
I  have  said,  Thou  art  my  refuge. 
My  portion  in  the  land  of  the  living. 

6  Attend  to  my  shrill  cry, 

For  I  am  become  very  weak ; 
Deliver  me  from  my  pursuers, 
For  they  are  too  strong  for  nie. 

7  Bring  out  from  prison  my  soul, 
That  I  may  thank  Thy  name; 
In  me  shall  the  righteous  glory. 

For  Thou  dealest  bountifully  with  me. 

THE  superscription  not  only  calls  this  a  psalm  of 
David's,  but  specifics  the  circumstances  of  its 
composition.  It  breathes  the  same  spirit  of  mingled 
fear  and  faith  which  characterises  many  earlier  psalms ; 
but  one  fails  to  catch  the  unmistakable  note  of  freshness, 
and  there  are  numerous  echoes  of  preceding  singers. 
This  psalmist  has  as  deep  sorrows  as  his  predecessors, 
and  as  firm  a  grasp  of  Jehovah,  his  helper.     His  song 

405 


4o6  THE  PSALMS 


runs  naturally  in  well-worn  channels,  and  is  none  the 
less  genuine  and  acceptable  to  God  because  it  does. 
Trouble  and  lack  of  human  sympathy  or  help  have 
done  their  best  work  on  him,  since  they  have  driven 
him  to  God's  breast.  He  has  cried  in  vain  to  man  ; 
and  now  he  has  gathered  himself  up  in  a  firm  resolve 
to  cast  himself  upon  God.  Men  may  take  offence  that 
they  are  only  appealed  to  as  a  last  resort,  but  God 
does  not.  The  psalmist  is  too  much  in  earnest  to  be 
content  with  unspoken  prayers.  His  voice  must  help 
his  thoughts.  Wonderful  is  the  power  of  articulate 
utterance  in  defining,  and  often  in  diminishing,  sorrows. 
Put  into  words,  many  a  burden  shrinks.  Speaking  his 
grief,  man}^  a  man  is  calmed  and  braced  to  endure. 
The  complaint  poured  out  before  God  ceases  to  flood 
the  spirit ;  the  straits  told  to  Him  begin  to  grip  less 
tightly. 

Ver.  I  resembles  Psalm  Ixxvii.  i,  and  ver.  3  has  the 
same  vivid  expression  for  a  spirit  swathed  in  melan- 
choly as  Psalm  Ixxvii.  3.  Hupfeld  would  transfer  ver. 
3  «  to  ver.  2,  as  being  superfluous  in  ver.  3,  and,  in 
connection  with  the  preceding,  stating  the  situation  or 
disposition  from  which  the  psalmist's  prayer  flows.  If 
so  taken,  the  copula  (And)  introducing  b  will  be  equi- 
valent to  "  But,"  and  contrasts  the  omniscience  of  God 
with  the  psalmist's  faintheartedness.  If  the  usual 
division  of  verses  is  retained,  the  same  contrast  is 
presented  still  more  forcibly,  and  the  copula  may  be 
rendered  "  Then."  The  outpouring  of  complaint  is  not 
meant  to  tell  Jehovah  what  He  does  not  know.  It  is 
for  the  complainer's  relief,  not  for  God's  information. 
However  a  soul  is  wrapped  in  gloom,  the  thought  that 
God  knows  the  road  which  is  so  dark  brings  a  little 
creeping  beam   into  the  blackness.      In   the  strength  of 


cxlii.]  THE  PSALMS  407 

that  conviction  the  psalmist  beseeches  Jehovah  to 
behold  what  He  does  behold.  That  is  the  paradox 
of  faithful  prayer,  which  asks  for  what  it  knows  that 
it  possesses,  and  dared  not  ask  for  unless  it  knew. 
The  form  of  the  word  rendered  above  "  Look "  is 
irregular,  a  "  hybrid  "  (Delitzsch)  ;  but  when  standing 
beside  the  following  "  see,"  it  is  best  taken  as  an 
imperative  of  petition  to  Jehovah.  The  old  versions 
render  both  words  as  first  person  singular,  in  which  they 
are  followed  by  Baethgen,  Graetz,  and  Cheyne.  It  is 
perhaps  more  natural  that  the  psalmist  should  represent 
himself  as  looking  round  in  vain  for  help,  than  that  he 
should  ask  God  to  look ;  and,  as  Baethgen  remarks, 
the  copula  before  "  There  is  none  "  in  ver.  4  b  favours 
this  reading,  as  it  is  superfluous  with  an  imperative. 
In  either  case  the  drift  of  ver.  4  is  to  set  forth  the 
suppliant's  forlorn  condition.  The  "  right  hand  "  is  the 
place  for  a  champion  or  helper,  but  this  lonely  sufferer's 
is  unguarded,  and  there  is  none  who  knows  him,  in 
the  sense  of  recognising  him  as  one  to  be  helped  (Ruth 
ii.  10,  19).  Thus  abandoned,  friendless,  and  solitar}', 
confronted  by  foes,  he  looks  about  for  some  place  to 
hide  in  ;  but  that  too  has  failed  him  (Job  xi.  20  ;  Jer. 
XXV.  35  ;  Amos  ii.  14).  There  is  no  man  interested 
enough  in  him  to  make  inquiry  after  his  life.  Whether 
he  is  alive  or  dead  matters  not  a  straw  to  any.. 

Thus  utterly  naked  of  help,  allies,  and  earthly  hiding- 
place,  what  can  a  man  do  but  fling  himself  into  the 
arms  of  God  ?  This  one  does  so,  as  the  rest  of  the 
psalm  tells.  He  had  looked  all  round  the  horizon  in 
vain  for  a  safe  cranny  to  creep  into  and  escape.  He 
was  out  in  the  open,  without  a  bush  or  rock  to  hide 
behind,  on  all  the  dreary  level.  So  he  looks  up,  and 
suddenly    there    rises    by    his    side    an     inexpugnable 


4o8  THE  PSALMS 


fortress,  as  if  a  mountain  sprang  at  once  from  the  flat 
earth.  "  I  have  said,  Thou  art  my  refuge  !  "  Whoso 
says  thus  has  a  shelter,  Some  One  to  care  for  him, 
and  the  gloom  begins  to  thin  off  from  his  soul.  The 
psalmist  is  not  only  safe  in  consequence  of  his  prayer, 
but  rich  ;  for  the  soul  which,  by  strong  resolve,  even  in 
the  midst  of  straits,  claims  God  as  its  portion  will  at 
once  realise  its  portion  in  God. 

The  prayer  for  complete  deliverance  in  vv.  6,  7, 
passes  into  calmness,  even  while  it  continues  fully 
conscious  of  peril  and  of  the  power  of  the  pursuers. 
Such  is  the  reward  of  invoking  Jehovah's  help.  Agita- 
tion is  soothed,  and,  even  before  any  outward  effect  has 
been  manifest,  the  peace  of  God  begins  to  shed  itself 
over  heart  and  mind.  The  suppliant  still  spreads  his 
needs  before  God,  is  still  conscious  of  much  weakness, 
of  strong  persecutors,  and  feels  that  he  is,  as  it  were, 
in  prison  (an  evident  metaphor,  though  Graetz,  with 
singular  prosaicncss,  will  have  it  to  be  literal)  ;  but  he 
has  hold  of  God  now,  and  so  is  sure  of  deliverance,  and 
already  begins  to  shape  his  lips  for  songs  of  praise, 
and  to  anticipate  the  triumph  which  his  experience  will 
afford  to  those  who  are  righteous,  and  so  are  his  fellows 
He  was  not,  then,  so  utterly  .solitary  as  he  had  wailed 
that  he  was.  There  were  some  who  would  joy  in  his 
joy,  even  if  they  could  not  help  his  misery.  But  the 
soul  that  has  to  wade  through  deep  waters  has  always 
to  do  it  alone ;  for  no  human  sympathy  reaches  to  full 
knowledge  of,  or  share  in,  even  the  best  loved  one's 
grief.  We  have  companions  in  joy  ;  sorrow  wc  have 
to  face  by  ourselves.  Unless  we  have  Jesus  with  us  in 
the  darkness,  we  have  no  one. 

The  word  rendered  above  "  shall  glory  "  is  taken  in 
different   meanings.     According  to    some,  it   is  to  be 


cxhi.]  THE   PSALMS  409 

rendered  here  "  surround  " — />.,  with  congratulations  ; 
others  would  take  the  meaning  to  be  "  shall  crown 
themselves  " — ?>.,  **  triumph  on  my  account  "  (Delitzsch, 
etc.).  Graetz  suggests  a  plausible  emendation,  which 
Cheyne  adopts,  reading  "glory  in,"  the  resulting  mean- 
ing being  the  same  as  that  of  Dclitzsch.  The  notion 
of  paiticipation  in  the  psalmist's  triumph  is  evidently 
intended  to  be  conveyed  ;  and  any  of  these  renderings 
preserves  that.  Possibly  surround  is  most  in  accord- 
ance with  the  usage  of  the  word.  Thus  the  psalmist's 
plaints  end,  as  plaints  which  are  prayers  ever  do,  in 
triumph  anticipated  by  faith,  and  one  day  to  be  realised 
in  experience. 


PSALM    CXLIII. 

1  Jehovah,  hear  my  prayer,  give  ear  to  my  supplications, 
In  Thy  faithfulness  answer  me,  in  Thy  righteousness  ; 

2  And  enter  not  into  judgment  with  Thy  servant, 
For  before  Thee  shall  no  man  living  be  righteous. 

3  For  the  enemy  has  pursued  my  soul, 
Crushed  my  life  to  the  ground. 

Made  me  to  dwell  in  dark  places,  like  the  dead  of 
long  ago. 

4  Therefore  my  spirit  wraps  itself  in  gloom  in  me, 
Within  me  is  my  heart  benumbed. 

5  I  remember  the  days  of  old, 
I  muse  on  all  Thy  doings. 

On  the  work  of  Thy  hands  I  brood. 

6  I  spread  my  hands  to  Thee, 

My  soul  is  towards  Thee  like  a  thirsty  land.    Selah. 

7  Make  haste,  answer  me,  Jehovah ;  my  spirit  faints  ; 
Hide  not  Thy  face  from  me, 

Lest  I  become  like  those  that  descend  into  the  pit. 

8  Make  me  hear  Thy  loving-kindness  in  the  morning, 
For  in  Thee  do  I  trust ; 

Make  me  know  the  way  in  which  I  should  go, 
For  to  Thee  do  I  lift  my  soul. 

9  Deliver  me  from  mine  enemies,  Jehovah, 
For  to  Thee  do  I  flee  for  refuge.  (?) 

10  Teach  me  to  do  Thy  will,  for  Thou  art  mj'  God  ; 
Let  Thy  good  spirit  lead  me  in  a  level  land. 

11  For  Thy  name's  sake,  Jehovah,  quicken  me  ; 

In  Thy  righteousness  bring  my  soul  out  of  all  straits  ; 

12  And  in  Thy  loving-kindness  cut  off  my  foes, 
And  destroy  all  who  oppress  my  soul. 

For  I  am  Thy  servant. 

THIS    psalm's    depth    of  sadness    and    contrition, 

blended   with   yearning  trust,  recalls   the  earlier 

psalnis    attributed    to    David.  Probably    this    general 

410 


cxliii.]  THE  PSALMS  411 

resemblance  in  inwardness  and  mood  is  all  that  is 
meant  by  the  superscription  in  calling  it  *'  a  psalm  of 
David."  Its  copious  use  of  quotations  and  allusions 
indicate  a  late  date.  But  there  is  no  warrant  for  taking 
the  speaker  to  be  the  personified  Israel.  It  is  clearly 
divided  into  two  equal  halves,  as  indicated  by  the  Selah, 
which  is  not  found  in  Books  IV.  and  V.,  except  here, 
and  in  Psalm  cxl.  The  former  half  (vv.  1-6)  is  com- 
plaint; the  latter  (vv.  7-12),  petition.  Each  part  may 
again  may  be  regarded  as  falling  into  two  equal  por- 
tions, so  that  the  complaint  branches  out  into  a  plaintive 
description  of  the  psalmist's  peril  (vv.  1-3),  and  a 
melancholy  disclosure  of  his  feelings  (vv.  4-6)  ;  while 
the  prayer  is  similarly  parted  into  cries  for  deliverance 
(vv.  7-9),  and  for  inward  enlightenment  and  help 
(vv.  10-12).  But  we  are  not  reading  a  logical  treatise, 
but  listening  to  the  cry  of  a  tried  spirit,  and  so  need 
not  wonder  if  the  discernible  sequence  of  thought  is 
here  and  there  broken. 

The  psalmist  knows  that  his  affliction  is  deserved. 
His  enemy  could  not  have  hunted  and  crushed  him 
(ver.  3)  unless  God  had  been  thereby  punishing  him. 
His  peril  has  forced  home  the  penitent  conviction  of 
his  sin,  and  therefore  he  must  first  have  matters  set 
right  between  him  and  God  by  Divine  forgiveness. 
His  cry  for  help  is  not  based  upon  any  claims  of  his 
own,  nor  even  on  his  extremity  of  need,  but  solely  on 
God's  character,  and  especially  on  the  twin  attributes 
of  Faithfulness  and  Righteousness.  By  the  latter  is 
not  meant  the  retributive  righteousness  which  gives 
according  to  desert,  but  that  by  which  He  maintains 
the  order  of  salvation  established  by  His  holy  love. 
The  prayer  anticipates  St.  John's  declaration  that  God 
is  "  faithful    and  just    to  forgive   us    our    sins."     That 


412  THE  PSALMS 


answer  in  righteousness  is  as  eagerly  desired  as  God's 
dealing  on  the  footing  of  retributive  justice  is  shrunk 
from.  "  Enter  not  into  judgment  with  Thy  servant  "  is 
not  a  prayer  referring  to  a  future  appearance  before 
the  Judge  of  all,  but  the  judgment  deprecated  is 
plainly  the  enmity  of  men,  which,  as  the  next  verse 
complains,  is  crushing  the  psalmist's  life  out  of  him. 
His  cry  is  for  deliverance  from  it,  but  he  feels  that 
a  more  precious  gift  must  precede  outward  deliverance, 
and  God's  forgiveness  must  first  be  sealed  on  his  soul. 
The  conviction  that,  when  the  light  of  God's  face  is 
turned  on  the  purest  life,  it  reveals  dark  stains  which 
retributive  justice  cannot  but  condemn,  is  not,  in  the 
psalmist's  mouth,  a  palliation  of  his  guilt.  Rather,  it 
drives  him  to  take  his  place  among  the  multitude  of 
offenders,  and  from  that  lowly  position  to  cry  for 
pardon  to  the  very  Judge  whose  judgment  he  cannot 
meet.  The  blessedness  of  contrite  trust  is  that  it 
nestles  the  closer  to  God,  the  more  it  feels  its  unworthi- 
ness.  The  child  hides  its  face  on  the  mother's  bosom 
when  it  has  done  wrong.  God  is  our  refuge  from  God. 
A  little  beam  of  light  steals  into  the  penitent's  dark- 
ness, while  he  calls  himself  God's  servant,  and  ventures 
to  plead  that  relation,  though  he  has  done  what  was 
unworthy  of  it,  as  a  reason  for  pardon.  The  significant 
*'  For "  beginning  ver.  3  shows  that  the  enemy's  acts 
were,  to  the  contrite  psalmist,  those  of  God's  stern 
justice.  Vv.  3  fl,  b,  are  moulded  on  Psalm  vii.  5,  and  c 
is  verbally  identical  with  Lam.  iii.  6.  "  The  dead  of 
long  ago"  is  by  some  rendered  dead  for  ever;  but  the 
translation  adopted  above  adds  force  to  the  psalmist's 
sad  description  of  himself,  by  likening  him  to  those 
forgotten  ones  away  back  in  the  mists  of  bygone  ages. 
Jn  vv.  4-6  the  record  of  the  emotions  caused  by  his 


cxliiij  THE  PSALMS  413 

peril  follows.  They  begin  with  the  natural  gloom.  As 
in  Psalm  cxlii.  3  (with  which  this  has  many  points 
of  resemblance,  possibly  indicating  identity  of  author), 
he  describes  his  "spirit"  as  swathed  in  dark  robes  of 
melancholy.  His  heart,  too,  the  centre  of  personality, 
was  shinned  or  benumbed,  so  that  it  almost  ceased  to 
beat.  What  should  a  "  servant  "  of  Jehovah's,  brought 
to  such  a  pass,  do  ?  If  he  is  truly  God's,  he  will  do 
precisely  what  this  man  did.  He  will  compel  his  thoughts 
to  take  another  direction,  and  call  Memory  in  to  fight 
Despair  and  feed  Hope.  His  own  past  and  God's  past 
are  arguments  enough  to  cheer  the  most  gloom-wrapped 
sufferer.  "  A  sorrow's  crown  of  sorrow "  may  be 
"  remembering  happier  things,"  but  the  remembrance 
will  be  better  used  to  discrown  a  sorrow  which 
threatens  to  lord  it  over  a  life.  Psalm  Ixxvii.  5,  6, 
II,  12,  has  shaped  the  expressions  here.  Both  the 
contrast  of  present  misery  with  past  mercy,  and  the 
assurances  of  present  help  given  by  that  past  mercy, 
move  the  psalmist  to  appeal  to  God,  stretching  out  his 
hands  in  entreaty.  Psalm  Ixiii.  i  echoes  in  ver.  6  b, 
the  pathos  and  beauty  of  which  need  no  elucidation. 
The  very  cracks  in  parched  ground  are  like  mouths 
opened  for  the  delaying  rains ;  so  the  singer's  soul  was 
gaping  wide  in  trouble  for  God's  coming,  which  would 
refresh  and  fertilise.  Blessed  is  that  weariness  which 
is  directed  to  Him ;  it  ever  brings  the  showers  of  grace 
for  which  it  longs.  The  construction  of  ver.  6  Z*  is 
doubtful,  and  the  supplement  "  thirsteth  "  (A.V.  and 
R.V.)  is  possibly  better  than  the  "  is  "  given  above. 

The  second  half  of  the  psalm  is  purely  petition. 
Vv.  7-9  ask  especially  for  outward  deliverance.  They 
abound  with  reminiscences  of  earlier  psalms.  "  Make 
haste,  answer  me"  recalls  Psalm  Ixix.  17;  "my  spirit 


414  'I^IiE  PSALMS 


faints  "  is  like  Psalm  Ixxxiv.  2  ;  **  Hide  not  Thy  face 
from  me  "  is  a  standing  petition,  as  in  Psalms  xxvii.  9, 
cii.  2,  etc.  ;  "  Lest  I  become  like  those  who  descend 
into  the  pit "  is  exactly  reproduced  from  Psalm  xxviii.  i. 
The  prayer  for  the  manifestation  of  God's  loving-kind- 
ness in  the  morning  is  paralleled  in  Psalm  xc.  14,  and 
that  for  illumination  as  to  the  way  to  walk  in  is  like 
Exod.  xxxiii.  13;  Psalm  xxv.  4.  The  plea  "To 
Thee  do  I  lift  my  soul"  is  found  in  Psalms  xxv.  I, 
Ixxxvi.  4. 

The  plea  appended  to  the  petition  in  ver.  g  b  \s 
difficult.  Literally,  the  words  run,  "  To  Thee  have  I 
covered  [myself],"  which  can  best  be  explained  as  a 
pregnant  construction,  equivalent  to  "  I  have  fled  to 
Thee  and  hid  myself  in  Thee."  Much  divergence  exists 
in  the  renderings  of  the  clause.  But  a  slight  emenda- 
tion, adopted  by  Hupfeld  and  Cheyne  from  an  ancient 
Jewish  commentator,  reads  the  familiar  expression,  "  I 
have  fled  for  refuge."  Baethgen  prefers  to  read  "  have 
waited,"  which  also  requires  but  a  trivial  alteration  ; 
while  Graetz  reaches  substantially  the  same  result  by 
another  way,  and  would  render  "  I  have  hope." 

A  glance  at  these  three  verses  of  petition  as  a  whole 
brings  out  the  sequence  of  the  prayers  and  of  their 
picas.  The  deepest  longing  of  the  devout  soul  is  for 
the  shining  of  God's  face,  the  consciousness  of  His 
loving  regard,  and  that  not  only  because  it  scatters 
fears  and  foes,  but  because  it  is  good  to  bathe  in  that 
sunshine.  The  next  longing  is  for  the  dawning  of  a 
glad  morning,  which  will  bring  to  a  waiting  heart  sweet 
whispers  of  God's  loving-kindness,  as  shown  by  out- 
ward deliverances.  The  night  of  fear  has  been  dark 
and  tearful,  but  joy  comes  with  the  morning.  The 
next  need  is  for  guidance  in  the  way  in  which  a  man 


cxliii.J  THE   PSALMS  415 

should  go,  which  here  must  be  taken  in  the  lower 
sense  of  practical  direction,  rather  than  in  any  higher 
meaning.  That  higher  meaning  follows  in  vv.  10-12; 
but  in  ver.  8  the  suppliant  asks  to  be  shown  the  path  by 
which  he  can  secure  deliverance  from  his  foes.  That 
deliverance  is  the  last  of  his  petitions.  His  pleas  are 
beautiful  as  examples  of  the  logic  of  supplication.  He 
begins  with  his  great  need.  His  spirit  faints,  and  he 
is  on  the  edge  of  the  black  pit  into  which  so  much 
brightness  and  strength  have  gone  down.  The  margin 
is  slippery  and  crumbling ;  his  feet  are  feeble.  One 
Helper  alone  can  hold  him  up.  But  his  own  exceeding 
need  is  not  all  that  he  pleads.  He  urges  his  trust,  his 
fixing  of  his  desires,  hopes,  and  whole  self,  by  a  dead 
lift  of  faith,  on  God.  That  is  a  reason  for  Divine  help. 
Anything  is  possible  rather  than  that  such  hope  should 
be  disappointed.  It  cannot  be  that  any  man,  who  has 
fled  for  sanctuary  to  the  asylum  of  God's  heart,  should 
be  dragged  thence  and  slain  before  the  God  whose  altar 
he  has  vainly  clasped. 

The  last  part  (vv.  10-12)  puts  foremost  the  prayer 
for  conformity  of  will  with  God's,  and,  though  it  closes 
with  recurring  prayer  for  outward  deliverance,  yet 
breathes  desires  for  more  inward  blessings.  As  in 
the  preceding  verses,  there  are,  in  these  closing  ones, 
many  echoes  of  other  psalms.  The  sequence  of  peti- 
tions and  pleas  is  instructive.  To  do,  not  merely  to 
know,  God's  will  is  the  condition  of  all  blessedness, 
and  will  be  the  deepest  desire  of  every  man  who  is 
truly  God's  servant.  But  that  obedience  of  heart  and 
hand  must  be  taught  by  God,  and  He  regards  our 
taking  Him  for  our  God  as  establishing  a  claim  on 
Him  to  give  all  illumination  of  heart  and  all  bending  of 
will  and  all  skill  of  hand  which  are  necessary  to  make 


4i6  THE  PSALMS 


US  doers  of  His  will.  His  teaching  is  no  mere  outward 
communication  of  knowledge,  but  an  inbreathing  of 
power  to  discern,  and  of  disposition  and  ability  to  per- 
form, what  is  His  will.  Ver.  lob  is  best  taken  as  a 
continuous  sentence,  embodying  a  prayer  for  guidance. 
The  plea  on  which  it  rests  remains  the  same,  though 
the  statement  of  it  as  a  separate  clause  is  not  adopted 
in  our  translation.  For  the  fact  that  God's  spirit  is 
"good  " — i.e.,  beneficently  self-communicative — heartens 
us  to  ask,  and  binds  Him  to  give,  all  such  direction  as 
is  needed.  This  is  not  a  mere  repetition  of  the  prayer 
in  ver.  8,  but  transcends  it.  "  A  level  land "  ^^or, 
according  to  a  possible  suggested  emendation,  path) 
is  one  in  which  the  psalmist  can  freely  walk,  unhindered 
in  doing  God's  will.  His  next  petition  goes  deepest  of 
the  three,  inasmuch  as  it  asks  for  that  new  Divine  life 
to  be  imparted,  without  which  no  teaching  to  do  God's 
will  can  be  assimilated,  and  no  circumstances,  however 
favourable,  will  conduce  to  doing  it.  He  may  not  have 
known  all  the  depth  which  his  prayer  sounded ;  but  no 
man  who  has  real  desires  to  conform  heart  and  life 
to  the  supreme  will  of  God  but  must  have  felt  his  need 
of  a  purer  life  to  be  poured  into  his  spirit.  As  this 
prayer  is  deep,  so  its  plea  is  high.  "  For  Thy  name's 
sake  " — nothing  can  be  pleaded  of  such  force  as  that. 
God  supremely  desires  the  glory  of  His  name  ;  and,  for 
the  sake  of  men  whose  blessedness  depends  on  their 
knowing  and  loving  it,  will  do  nothing  that  can  dim  its 
lustre.  His  name  is  the  record  of  His  past  acts,  the 
disclosure  of  that  in  Him  which  is  knowable.  That 
name  contains  the  principles  of  all  His  future  acts.  He 
will  be  what  He  has  been.  He  will  magnify  His 
name ;  and  the  humblest,  most  tormented  soul  that  can 
say,  "Thou  art  my  God,"  may   be  sure   that  Divinely 


cxliii.]  THE  PSALMS  417 


given  life  will  throb  in  it,  and  that  even  its  lowliness 
may  contribute  to  the  honour  of  the  name. 

The  hunted  psalmist  cannot  but  come  back,  in  the 
close  of  his  psalm,  to  his  actual  circumstances,  for 
earthly  needs  do  clog  the  soul's  wings.  He  unites 
righteousness  and  loving-kindness  as  co-operating 
powers,  as  in  ver.  i  he  had  united  faithfulness  and 
righteousness.  And  as  in  the  first  verses  he  had 
blended  pleas  drawn  from  God's  character  with  those 
drawn  from  his  relation  to  God,  so  he  ends  his  petitions 
with  pleading  that  he  is  God's  servant,  and,  as  such,  a 
fit  object  of  God's  protectioa 


VOL.  III.  27 


PSALM    CXLIV. 

1  Blessed  be  Jehovah  my  rock,  vvlio  trains  my  hands  for  battle, 
My  fingers  for  war  ; 

2  My  loving-kindness  and    my  fortress,   my  high   tower  and  my 

deliverer, 
My  shield  and  He  in  whom  I  take  refuge, 
Who  subdues  my  people  under  me. 

3  Jehovah,  what  is  man,  that  Thou  takest  knowledge  of  him? 
The  son  of  frail  man,  that  Thou  takest  account  of  him  ? 

4  Man — he  is  like  to  a  breath. 

His  days  are  like  a  shadow  passing  away. 

5  Jehovah,  bow  Thy  heavens  and  come  down. 
Touch  the  mountains  that  they  smoke. 

6  Lighten  lightning  and  scatter  them, 
Shoot  Thy  arrows  and  confound  them. 

7  Stretch  Thy  hands  from  on  high. 

Pluck  me  [out]  and  deliver  me  from  many  waters 
From  the  hands  of  the  sons  of  the  alien, 

8  Whose  mouth  speaks  falsehood. 

And  whose  right  hand  is  a  right  hand  of  lies. 

9  O  God,  a  new  song  will  I  sing  to  Thee, 
On  a  ten-stringed  harp  will  I  harp  to  Thee, 

10  Who  giveth  salvation  to  kings, 

Who  snatches  David  His  servant  from  the  evil  sword. 

1 1  Pluck  me  [out]  and  deliver  me  from  the  hand  of  the  sons  of 

the  alien, 
Whose  mouth  speaks  falsehood, 
And  whose  right  hand  is  a  right  hand  of  lies. 

12  So  that  (?  or  Because)  our  sons  [may  be]  as  plants, 
Grown  tall  in  their  youth  ; 

Our  daughters  like  corner-pillars. 
Carved  after  the  fashion  of  a  palace  ; 

13  Our  granaries  lull,  giving  forth  kind  after  kind  [of  supply];" 

418 


cxiiv.]  THE  PSALMS  419 

Our  flocks  producing  thousands, 
Producing  tens  of  thousands  in  our  fields  ; 

14  Our  kine  heavy  with  young; 
No  breach  and  no  sally, 

And  no  [battle-]  cry  in  our  open  spaces. 

15  Happy  the  people  that  is  in  such  a  case  ! 
Happy  the  people  whose  God  is  Jehovah  ! 

THE  force  of  compilation  could  no  further  go 
than  in  this  psalm,  which  is,  in  the  first  eleven 
verses,  simply  a  rechauffe  of  known  psalms,  and  in 
vv.  12-15  is  most  probably  an  extract  from  an  unknown 
one  of  later  date.  The  junctions  are  not  effected  with 
much  skill,  and  the  last  is  tacked  on  very  awkwardly 
(ver.  12).  It  is  completely  unlike  the  former  part, 
inasmuch  as  there  the  speaker  is  a  warlike  king  praying 
for  victory,  while  in  the  latter  the  nation  sings  of  the 
tranquil  blessings  of  peaceful  expansion.  The  language 
of  the  later  portion  is  full  of  late  forms  and  obscurities. 
But  the  compiler's  course  of  thoi>ght  is  traceable,  lie 
begins  by  praising  Jehovah,  who  has  taught  him  war- 
like skill ;  then  adoringly  thinks  of  his  own  weakness, 
made  strong  by  God's  condescending  regard ;  next 
prays  for  complete  victory,  and  vows  fresh  praises  for 
new  mercies  ;  and  closes  with  a  picture  of  the  prosperity 
which  follows  conquest,  and  is  secured  to  Israel  because 
Jehovah  is  its  God. 

Vv.  I,  2,  are  echoes  of  Psalm  xviii.  2,  34,  46,  with 
slight  variations.  The  remarkable  epithet  "  My  loving- 
kindness  "  offends  some  critics,  who  emend  so  as  to 
read  "  My  stronghold  "  ;  but  it  has  a  parallel  in  Jonah 
ii.  9,  and  is  forcible  as  an  emotional  abbreviation  of  the 
fuller  "God  of  my  loving-kindness"  (Psalm  lix.  10). 
The  original  passage  reads  "  people,"  which  is  the  only 
appropriate  word  in  this  connection,  and  should  probably 
be  read  in  ver.  2  c. 


420  THE  PSALMS 


Psalm  viii.  supplies  the  original  of  vv.  3,  4,  with  a 
reminiscence  of  Psalm  xxxix.  5,  and  of  Psalm  cii.  ii, 
from  which  comes  the  pathetic  image  of  the  fleeting 
shadow.  The  link  between  this  and  the  former  extract 
seems  to  be  the  recognition  of  God's  condescension 
in  strengthening  so  weak  and  transient  a  creature  for 
conflict  and  conquest. 

The  following  prayer  for  further  Divine  help  in 
further  struggles  is  largely  borrowed  from  the  magni- 
ficent picture  of  a  theophany  in  Psalm  xviii.  9,  14-16. 
The  energetic  "  Lighten  lightning  "  is  peculiar  to  this 
psalm,  as  is  the  use  of  the  word  for  "  Pluck  out."  The 
description  of  the  enemies  as  "  sons  of  the  alien  "  is 
like  Psalm  xviii.  44,  45.  As  in  many  other  psalms,  the 
treachery  of  the  foe  is  signalised.  They  break  their 
oaths.  The  right  hand  which  they  had  lifted  in  swear- 
ing is  a  lying  hand.  The  vow  of  new  praise  recalls 
Psalms  xxxiii.  2,  3,  and  xcvi.  i,  xcviii.  i.  Ver.  10  is 
a  reproduction  of  Psalm  xviii.  50.  The  mention  of 
David's  deliverance  from  the  "  evil  sword  "  has  appa- 
rently been  the  reason  for  the  LXX.  referring  the  psalm 
to  the  victory  over  Goliath — an  impossible  view.  The 
new  song  is  not  here  sung ;  but  the  psalm  drops  from 
the  level  of  praise  to  renew  the  petition  for  deliverance, 
in  the  manner  of  a  refrain  caught  up  in  ver.  1 1  from 
ver.  7.  This  might  make  a  well-rounded  close,  and 
may  have  originally  been  the  end  of  the  psalm. 

The  appended  fragment  (vv.  12-15)  is  attached  to 
the  preceding  in  a  most  embarrassing  fashion.  The 
first  word  of  ver.  12  is  the  sign  of  the  relative.  The 
LXX.  accordingly  translates  "Whose  sons  are,"  etc., 
and  understands  the  whole  as  a  description  of  the  pros- 
perity of  the  enemies,  which  view  necessarily  involves 
the  alteration  of  "  our  "  into  **  their"  in  the  following 


cxliv.]  THE  PSALMS  421 

clauses.  Others  supply  an  antecedent  to  the  relative 
by  insertuig  save  its  or  the  like  expression  at  the 
beginning  of  the  verse.  Others,  again — e.g.^  Evvald, 
followed  by  Perowne — connect  the  relative  with  ver.  1 5  : 
"  We  whose  sons  are,"  etc.  ..."  Happy  is  the 
people,"  etc.  Delitzsch  takes  the  relative  to  signify 
here  "  because,"  and  compares  Judg.  ix.  17  ;  Jer.  xvi.  13. 
The  prosperity  subsequently  described  would  then  be 
alleged  as  the  occasion  of  the  enemies'  envy.  Others 
would  slightly  emend  the  text  so  as  to  read,  "  I  pro- 
nounce happy,"  or  "  Happy  are  we."  The  latter,  which 
makes  all  smooth,  and  corresponds  with  ver.  15,  is 
Graetz's  proposal.  The  rendering  of  the  A.V.,  "  that " 
or  "  in  order  that,"  has  much  in  its  favour.  The  word 
which  is  the  sign  of  the  relative  is  a  component  of  the 
full  expression  usually  so  rendered,  and  stands  alone 
as  equivalent  to  it  in  Deut.  iv.  40,  Gen.  xi.  7.  It  is 
true,  as  Delitzsch  objects  to  this  rendering,  that  the 
following  verbs  are  usually  finite,  while  here  they  are 
participles ;  but  that  is  not  a  fatal  objection.  The 
whole  that  follows  would  then  be  dependent  on  the 
petition  of  ver.  1 1,  and  would  describe  the  purpose 
of  the  desired  deliverance.  "  This  is,  in  fact,  the  poet's 
meaning.  He  prays  for  deliverance  from  enemies,  in 
order  that  the  happy  condition  pictured  in  ver.  12  sqq. 
may  come  to  pass "  (Baethgen).  On  the  whole,  that 
rendering  presents  least  difficulty,  but  in  any  case 
the  seam  is  clumsy. 

The  substance  of  the  description  includes  three 
things — a  vigorous,  growing  population,  agricultural 
prosperity,  and  freedom  from  invasion.  The  language 
is  obscure,  especially  in  ver.  14,  but  the  general  drift  is 
plain.  The  characteristic  Jewish  blessing  of  numerous 
offspring  is  first  touched  on  in  two  figures,  of  which  the 


422  THE  PSALMS 


former  is  forcible  and  obvious,  and  the  latter  obscure. 
The  comparison  of  the  virgin  daughters  of  Israel  to 
"  corners  "  is  best  understood  by  taking  the  word  to 
mean  "  corner-pillars,"  not  necessarily  caryatides,  as  is 
usually  supposed — an  architectural  decoration  unknown 
in  the  East.  The  points  of  comparison  would  then  be 
slender  uprightness  and  firm  grace.  Delitzsch  prefers 
to  take  the  word  as  meaning  cornices^  such  as,  to  the 
present  day,  are  found  in  the  angles  of  Eastern 
roomys,  and  are  elaborately  carved  in  mazy  patterns  and 
brightly  coloured.  He  would  also  render  "  variegated  " 
instead  of  "  carved."  But  such  a  comparison  puts  too 
much  stress  on  gay  dresses,  and  too  little  on  qualities 
corresponding  to  those  of  the  "  well-grown  "  youths  in 
the  former  clause. 

The  description  of  a  flourishing  rural  community^ 
full  of  difficult  words.  "  Granaries "  is  found  only 
here,  and  **kind"  is  a  late  word.  "Fields"  is  the 
same  word  as  is  usually  rendered  "streets";  it  literally 
means  "  places  outside,"  and  here  obviously  must  refer 
to  the  open  pastures  without  the  city,  in  contrast  to  the 
'*  open  spaces  "  within  it,  mentioned  in  the  next  verse. 
In  that  verse  almost  every  word  is  doubtful.  That 
rendered  "  kine  "  is  masculine  in  form,  but  is  generally 
taken  as  being  applicable  to  both  sexes,  and  here  used 
for  the  milky  mothers  of  the  herd.  The  word  trans- 
lated above  "heavy  with  young"  means  laden,  and  if 
the  accompanying  noun  is  masculine,  must  mean  laden 
with  the  harvest  sheaves  ;  but  the  parallel  of  the  in- 
creasing flocks  suggests  the  other  rendering.  The 
remainder  of  ver.  14  would  in  form  make  a  complete 
verse,  and  it  is  possible  that  something  has  fallen  out 
between  the  first  clause  and  the  two  latter.  These 
paint  tranquil  city  life  when    enemies    arc    far   away. 


cxliv.]  THE  PSALMS  423 

"  No  breach  " — i.e.,  in  the  defences,  by  which  besiegers 
could  enter;  "No  going  forth" — i.e.,  sally  of  the  besieged, 
as  seems  most  probable,  though  going  forth  as  captured 
or  surrendering  has  been  suggested;  "No  cry" — i.e., 
of  assailants  who  have  forced  an  entrance,  and  of 
defenders  who  make  their  last  stand  in  the  open  places 
of  the  city. 

The  last  verse  sums  up  all  the  preceding  picture  of 
growth,  prosperity,  and  tranquillity,  and  traces  it  to  the 
guardian  care  and  blessing  of  Jehovah.  The  psalmist 
may  seem  to  have  been  setting  too  much  store  by 
outward  prosperity.  His  last  word  not  only  points  to 
the; one  Source  of  it,  but  sets  high  above  the  material 
consequences  of  God's  favour,  joyous  as  these  are,  that 
favour  itself,  as  the  climax  of  human  blessedness. 


PSALM   CXLV. 

1  K  I  will  exalt  Thee,  my  God,  O  King, 

And  I  will  bless  Thy  name  for  ever  and  aye. 

2  2  Every  day  will  I  bless  Thee, 

And  I  will  praise  Thy  name  for  ever  and  aye. 

3  J  Great  is  Jehovah  and  much  to  be  praised, 

And  of  His  greatness  there  is  no  searching. 

4  1  Generation  to  generation  shall  loudly  praise  Th}'  works 

And  Thy  mighty  acts  shall  they  declare. 

5  n  The  splendour  of  the  glory  of  Thy  majesty. 

And  the  records  of  Thy  wonders  will  I  meditate. 

6  "1  And  the  might  of  Th}'  dread  acts  shall  they  speak, 

And  Thy  greatness  will  I  tell  over, 

7  T  The  memory  of  Thy  abundant  goodness  shall  they  well 

forth, 
And  Thy  righteousness  shall  they  shout  aloud. 

8  n  Gracious  and  full  of  compassion  is  Jehovah, 

Slow  to  anger  and  great  in  loving-kindness. 

9  0  Good  is  Jehovah  to  all, 

And  His  compassions  are  upon  all  His  works. 

10  *    All  Thy  works  thank  Thee,  Jehovah, 

And  Thy  favoured  ones  shall  bless  Thee. 

11  3  The  glory  of  Thy  kingdom  shall  they  speak, 

And  talk  of  Thy  might ; 

12  ?  To  make  known  to  the  sons  of  men  His  mighty  deeds 

And  the  glory  of  the  splendour  of  His  kingdom. 

13  D  Thy  kingdom  is  a  kingdom  for  all  agc^, 

And  Thy  dominion  [endures]   thro.igli  every  generation 
after  generation. 

14  D  Jehovah  upholds  all  the  falling, 

And  raises  all  the  bowed  down. 

15  V  The  eyes  of  all  look  expectantly  to  Thee, 

And  Thou  givest  them  their  food  in  its  season. 
424 


cxlv.]  THE   PSALMS  425 

16  D  Thou  openest  Thy  hand, 

And  satisfiest  every  living  thing  [with]  its  desire. 

17  ^  Jehovah  is  righteous  in  all  His  ways, 

And  loving  in  all  His  works. 

18  p  Jehovah  is  near  to  all  who  call  on  Him, 

To  all  who  call  on  Him  in  truth. 

19  "1  The  desire  of  them  that  fear  Him  He  will  fulfil. 

And  their  cry  He  will  hear  and  will  save  them. 

20  {J*  Jehovah  keeps  all  who  love  Him, 

And  all  the  wicked  will  He  destroy. 

21  n  The  praise  of  Jehovah  my  mouth  shall  speak, 

And  lot  all  flesh  bless  His  holy  name  for  ever  and  aye. 

THIS  is  an  acrostic  psalm.  Like  several  others 
of  that  kind,  it  is  slightly  irregular,  one  letter 
(Nun)  being  omitted.  The  omission  is  supplied  in  the 
LXX.  by  an  obviously  spurious  verse  inserted  in  the 
right  place  between  vv.  13  and  14.  Though  the  psalm 
has  no  strophical  divisions,  it  has  distinct  sequence  of 
thought,  and  celebrates  the  glories  of  Jehovah's  character 
and  deeds  from  a  fourfold  point  of  view.  It  sings  of 
His  greatness  (vv.  1-6),  goodness  (vv.  7-10),  His 
kingdom  (vv.  11-13),  and  the  universality  of  His 
beneficence  (vv.  14-21).  It  is  largely  coloured  by 
other  psalms,  and  is  unmistakably  of  late  origin. 

The  first  group  of  verses  has  two  salient  character- 
istics— the  accumulation  of  epithets  expressive  of  the 
more  majestic  aspects  of  Jehovah's  self-revelation,  and 
the  remarkable  alternation  of  the  psalmist's  solo  of  song 
and  the  mighty  chorus,  which  takes  up  the  theme  and 
sends  a  shout  of  praise  echoing  down  the  generations. 

The  psalmist  begins  with  his  own  tribute  of  praise, 
which  he  vows  shall  be  perpetual.  Ver.  i  recalls 
Psalms  XXX.  i  and  xxxiv.  i.  We  "exalt"  God,  when 
we  recognise  that  He  is  King,  and  worthily  adore  Him 
as  such.     A  heart  suffused  with  joy  in  the  thought  of 


426  THE  PSALMS 


God  would  fain  have  no  other  occupation  than  the 
loved  one  of  ringing  out  Mis  name.  The  singer  sets 
"  for  ever  and  aye "  at  the  end  of  both  ver.  i  and 
ver.  2,  and  while  it  is  possible  to  give  the  expression 
a  worthy  meaning  as  simply  equivalent  to  continually, 
it  is  more  in  harmony  with  the  exalted  strain  of  the 
psalm  and  the  emphatic  position  of  the  words  to  hear 
in  them  an  expression  of  the  assurance  which  such 
delight  in  God  and  in  the  contemplation  of  Him 
naturally  brings  with  it,  that  over  communion  so  deep 
and  blessed,  Death  has  no  power.  "  Every  day  will  I 
bless  Thee  " — that  is  the  happy  vow  of  the  devout  heart. 
"  And  I  will  praise  Thy  name  for  ever  and  ever  " — that 
is  the  triumphant  confidence  that  springs  from  the  vow. 
The  experiences  of  fellowship  with  God  are  prophets 
of  their  own  immortality. 

Ver.  3  rt  is  from  Psalm  xlviii.  i,  and  b  is  tinged  by 
Isaiah  xl.,  but  substitutes  "  greatness,"  the  key-note 
of  the  first  part  of  this  psalm,  for  "understanding." 
That  note  having  been  thus  struck,  is  taken  up  in 
vv.  4-6,  which  set  forth  various  aspects  of  that  great- 
ness, as  manifested  in  works  which  are  successively 
described  as  "  mighty  " — i.e.,  instinct  with  conquering 
power  such  as  a  valiant  hero  wields  ;  as,  taken  together, 
constituting  the  "  splendour  of  the  glory  of  Thy  majesty," 
the  flashing  brightness  with  which,  when  gathered,  as 
it  were,  in  a  radiant  mass,  they  shine  out,  like  a  great 
globe  of  fire  ;  as  *'  wonders,"  not  merely  in  the  narrower 
sense  of  miracles,  but  as  being  productive  of  lowly 
astonishment  in  the  thoughtful  spectator  ;  and  as  being 
"dread  acts" — i.e.,  such  as  fill  the  beholder  with  holy 
awe.  In  ver.  5  b  the  phrase  rendered  above  "  records 
of  Mis  wonders"  is  literally  "words  of  Mis  wonders," 
which  some  regard  as    being   like  the   similar  phrase 


cxlv.]  THE   PSALMS  427 

in  Psalm  Ixv.  3  (words  or  matters  of  iniquities),  a 
pleonasm,  and  others  would  take  as  they  do  the  like 
expression  in  Psalm  cv.  27,  as  equivalent  to  ^^  deeds  of 
the  Divine  wonders  "  (Delitzsch).  But  "  words  "  may 
very  well  here  retain  its  ordinary  sense,  and  the  poet 
represent  himself  as  meditating  on  the  records  of  God's 
acts  in  the  past  as  well  as  gazing  on  those  spread 
before  his  eyes  in  the  present. 

His  passing  and  repassing  from  his  own  praise  in 
vv.  I,  2,  to  'that  of  successive  generations  in  ver.  4, 
and  once  more  to  his  own  in  ver.  5,  and  to  that  of 
others  in  ver.  6,  is  remarkable.  Does  he  conceive  of 
himself  as  the  chorus  leader,  teaching  the  ages  his 
song  ?  Or  does  he  simply  rejoice  in  the  less  lofty  con- 
sciousness that  his  voice  is  not  solitary?  It  is  difficult 
to  say,  but  this  is  clear,  that  the  Messianic  hope  of 
the  world's  being  one  day  filled  with  the  praises  which 
were  occasioned  by  God's  manifestation  in  Israel  burned 
in  this  singer's  heart.  He  could  not  bear  to  sing  alone, 
and  his  hymn  would  lack  its  highest  note,  if  he  did  not 
believe  that  the  world  was  to  catch  up  the  song. 

But  greatness,  majesty,  splendour,  are  not  the 
Divinest  parts  of  the  Divine  nature,  as  this  singer  had 
learned.  These  are  but  the  fringes  of  the  central  glory. 
Therefore  the  song  rises  from  greatness  to  celebrate 
better  things,  the  moral  attributes  of  Jehovah  (vv.  7-10). 
The  psalmist  has  no  more  to  say  of  himself,  till  the  end 
of  his  psalm.  He  gladly  listens  rather  to  the  chorus 
of  many  voices  which  proclaims  Jehovah's  widespread 
goodness.  In  ver.  7  the  two  attributes  which  the  whole 
Old  Testament  regards  as  inseparable  are  the  themes 
of  the  praise  of  men.  Goodness  and  righteousness  are 
not  antithetic,  but  complementary,  as  green  and  red  rays 
blend  in  white  light.     The  exuberance  of  praise  evoked 


428  THE  PSALMS 


by  these  attributes  is  strikingly  represented  by  the  two 
strong  words  describing  it ;  of  which  the  former,  "  well 
forth/'  compares  its  gush  to  the  clear  waters  of  a  spring 
bursting  up  into  sunlight,  dancing  and  flashing,  musical 
and  living,  and  the  other  describes  it  as  like  the  shrill 
cries  of  joy  raised  by  a  crowd  on  some  festival,  or  such 
as  the  women  trilled  out  when  a  bride  was  brought 
home.  Ver.  8  rests  upon  Exod.  xxxiv.  6  (compare  Psalm 
ciii.  8).  It  is  difficult  to  de-synonymise  "gracious"  and 
"  full  of  compassion."  Possibly  the  former  is  the  wider, 
and  expresses  love  in  exercise  towards  the  lowly  in  its 
most  general  aspect,  while  the  latter  specialises  gracious- 
ness  as  it  reveals  itself  to  those  afQicted  with  any  evil. 
As  "  slow  to  anger,"  Jehovah  keeps  back  the  wrath 
which  is  part  of  His  perfection,  and  only  gives  it  free 
course  after  long  waiting  and  wooing.  The  contrast  in 
ver.  8  6  is  not  so  much  between  anger  and  loving-kind- 
ness, which  to  the  psalmist  are  not  opposed,  as  between 
the  slowness  with  which  the  one  is  launched  against  a 
few  offenders  and  the  plenitude  of  the  other.  That 
thought  of  abundant  loving-kindness  is  still  further 
widened,  in  ver.  9,  to  universality.  God's  goodness 
embraces  all,  and  His  compassions  hover  over  all  His 
works,  as  the  broad  wing  and  warm  breast  of  the 
mother  eagle  protect  her  brood.  Therefore  the  psalmist 
hears  a  yet  more  multitudinous  voice  of  praise  from  all 
creatures ;  since  their  very  existence,  and  still  more 
their  various  blessednesses,  give  witness  to  the  all- 
gladdening  Mercy  which  encompasses  them.  But' 
Creation's  anthem  is  a  song  without  words,  and  needs 
to  be  made  articulate  by  the  conscious  thanksgivings  of 
those  who,  being  blessed  by  possession  of  Jehovah's 
loving-kindness,  render  blessing  to  Him  with  heart  and 
lip. 


cxlv.]  THE  PSALMS  429 

The  Kingship  of  God  was  lightly  touched  in  vcr.  i . 
It  now  becomes  the  psalmist's  theme  in  vv.  11-13.  It 
is  for  God's  favoured  ones  to  speak,  while  Creation  can 
but  be.  It  is  for  men  who  can  recognise  God's  sovereign 
Will  as  their  law,  and  know  Him  as  Ruler,  not  only 
by  power,  but  by  goodness,  to  proclaim  that  kingdom 
which  psalmists  knew  to  be  "  righteousness,  peace,  and 
joy."  The  purpose  for  which  God  has  lavished  His 
favour  on  Israel  is  that  they  might  be  the  heralds  of 
His  royalty  to  "the  sons  of  men."  The  recipients 
of  His  grace  should  be  the  messengers  of  tlis  grace. 
The  aspects  of  that  kingdom  which  fill  the  psalmist's 
thoughts  in  this  part  of  his  hymn,  correspond  with  that 
side  of  the  Divine  nature  celebrated  in  vv.  1-6 — namely, 
the  more  majestic — while  the  graciousness  magnified  in 
vv.  7-10  is  again  the  theme  in  the  last  portion  (vv. 
14-20).  An  intentional  parallelism  between  the  first 
and  third  parts  is  suggested  by  the  recurrence  in  ver.  12 
of  part  of  the  same  heaped-together  phrase  which 
occurs  in  ver.  5.  There  we  read  of  "the  splendour  of 
the  glory  of  Thy  majesty  " ;  here  of  "  the  glory  of  the 
splendour  of  Thy  kingdom," — expressions  substantially 
identical  in  meaning.  The  very  glory  of  the  kingdom 
of  Jehovah  is  a  pledge  that  it  is  eternal.  What  corrup- 
tion or  decay  could  touch  so  radiant  and  mighty  a 
throne  ?  Israel's  monarchy  was  a  thing  of  the  past ; 
but  as,  "in  the  year  that  King  Uzziah  died,"  Isaiah  saw 
the  true  King  of  Israel  throned  in  the  Temple,  so  the 
vanishing  of  the  earthly  head  of  the  theocracy  seems  to 
have  revealed  with  new  clearness  to  devout  men  in 
Israel  the  perpetuity  of  the  reign  of  Jehovah.  Hence 
the  psalms  of  the  King  are  mostly  post-exilic.  It  is 
blessed  when  the  shattering  of  earthly  goods  or  the 
withdrawal  of  human   helpers  and  lovers  makes  more 


430  THE  PSALMS 


plain  the  Unchanging  Friend  and  His  abiding  power  to 
succour  and  suffice. 

The  last  portion  of  the  psalm  is  marked  by  a  fre- 
quent repetition  of  "  all,"  which  occurs  eleven  times  in 
these  verses.  The  singer  seems  to  delight  in  the  very 
sound  of  the  word,  which  suggests  to  him  boundless 
visions  of  the  wide  sweep  of  God's  universal  mercy, 
and  of  the  numberless  crowd  of  dependents  who  wait 
on  and  are  satisfied  by  Him.  He  passes  far  beyond 
national  bounds. 

Ver.  14  begins  the  grand  catalogue  of  universal  bless- 
ings by  an  aspect  of  God's  goodness  which,  at  first 
sight,  seems  restricted,  but  is  only  too  wide,  since 
there  is  no  man  who  is  not  often  ready  to  fall  and 
needing  a  strong  hand  to  uphold  him.  The  univer- 
sality of  man's  weakness  is  pathetically  testified  by  this 
verse.  Those  who  are  in  the  act  of  falling  are  upheld 
by  Him ;  those  who  have  fallen  are  helped  to  regain 
their  footing.  Universal  sustaining  and  restoring  grace 
are  His.  The  psalmist  says  nothing  of  the  conditions 
on  which  that  grace  in  its  highest  forms  is  exercised ; 
but  these  are  inherent  in  the  nature  of  the  case,  for, 
if  the  falling  man  will  not  lay  hold  of  the  outstretched 
hand,  down  he  must  go.  There  would  be  no  place  for 
restoring  help,  if  sustaining  aid  worked  as  universally 
as  it  is  proffered.  The  word  for  "  raises  "  in  ver.  146 
occurs  only  here  and  in  Psalm  cxlvi.  8.  Probably 
the  author  of  both  Psalms  is  one.  In  vv.  15,  16,  the 
universality  of  Providence  is  set  forth  in  language 
partly  taken  from  Psalm  civ.  27,  28.  The  petitioners 
are  all  creatures.  They  mutely  appeal  to  God,  with 
expectant  eyes  fixed  on  Him,  like  a  dog  looking  for 
a  crust  from  its  master.  He  has  but  to  "  open  His 
hand  "  and  they  are  satisfied.     The  process  is  repre- 


cxlv.J  THE  PSALMS  431 

sented  as  easy  and  effortless.  Ver.  \6b  has  received 
different  explanations.  The  word  rendered  "  desire  " 
is  often  used  for  "favour" — i.e.,  God's — and  is  by  some 
taken  in  that  meaning  here.  So  Cheyne  translates 
"  fillest  everything  that  lives  with  goodwill."  But 
seeing  that  the  same  word  recurs  in  ver.  19,  in  an 
obvious  parallel  with  this  verse,  and  has  there  neces- 
sarily the  meaning  of  desire,  it  is  more  natural  to  give 
it  the  same  signification  here.  The  clause  then  means 
that  the  opening  of  God's  hand  satisfies  every  creature, 
by  giving  it  that  which  it  desires  in  full  enjoyment. 

These  common  blessings  of  Providence  avail  to 
interpret  deeper  mysteries.  Since  the  world  is  full  of 
happy  creatures  nourished  by  Him,  it  is  a  reasonable 
faith  that  His  work  is  all  of  a  piece,  and  that  in  all 
His  dealings  the  twin  attributes  of  righteousness  and 
loving-kindness  rule.  There  are  enough  plain  tokens 
of  God's  character  in  plain  things  to  make  us  sure  that 
mysterious  and  apparently  anomalous  things  have  the 
same  character  regulating  them.  In  ver.  \y  b  the  word 
rendered  loving  is  that  usually  employed  of  the  objects 
of  loving-kindness,  God's  "  favoured  ones."  It  is  used 
of  God  only  here  and  in  Jer.  iii.  12,  and  must  be 
taken  in  an  active  sense,  as  One  who  exercises  loving- 
kindness.  The  underlying  principle  of  all  His  acts 
is  Love,  says  the  psalmist,  and  there  is  no  antagonism 
between  that  deepest  motive  and  Righteousness.  The 
singer  has  indeed  climbed  to  a  sun-lit  height,  from 
which  he  sees  far  and  can  look  down  into  the  deep 
of  the  Divine  judgments  and  discern  that  they  are  a 
clear-obscure. 

He  does  not  restrict  this  universal  beneficence  when 
he  goes  on  to  lay  down  conditions  on  which  the 
reception   of  its   highest   forms    depend.       These    con- 


432  THE  PSALMS 


ditions  arc  not  arbitrar}' ;  and  within  their  limits,  the 
same  universaUty  is  displayed.  The  lower  creation 
makes  its  mute  appeal  to  God,  but  men  have  the 
prerogative  and  obligation  of  calling  upon  Him  with 
real  desire  and  trust.  Such  suppliants  will  universally  be 
blessed  with  a  nearness  of  God  to  them,  better  than  His 
proximity  through  power,  knowledge,  or  the  lower  mani- 
festations of  His  loving-kindness,  to  inferior  creatures. 
Just  as  the  fact  of  life  brought  with  it  certain  wants, 
which  God  is  bound  to  supply,  since  He  gives  it,  so 
the  fear  and  love  of  Him  bring  deeper  needs,  which 
He  is  still  more  (if  that  were  possible)  under  pledge 
to  satisfy.  The  creatures  have  their  desires  met. 
Those  who  fear  Him  will  certainly  have  theirs  ;  and 
that,  not  only  in  so  far  as  they  share  physical  life 
with  worm  and  bee,  whom  their  heavenly  Father  feeds, 
but  in  so  far  as  their  devotion  sets  in  motion  a  new 
series  of  aspirations,  longings,  and  needs,  which  will 
certainly  not  be  left  unfulfilled.  "  Food "  is  all  the 
boon  that  the  creatures  crave,  and  they  get  it  by  an 
easy  process.  But  man,  especially  man  who  fears  and 
loves  God,  has  deeper  needs,  sadder  in  one  aspect, 
since  they  come  from  perils  and  ills  from  which  he 
has  to  be  saved,  but  more  blessed  in  another,  since 
every  need  is  a  door  by  which  God  can  enter  a  soul. 
These  sacreder  necessities  and  more  wistful  longings 
are  not  to  be  satisfied  by  simply  opening  God's  hand. 
More  has  to  be  done  than  that.  For  they  can  only 
be  satisfied  by  the  gift  of  Himself,  and  men  need  much 
disciplining  before  they  will  to  receive  Him  into  their 
hearts.  They  who  love  and  fear  Him  will  desire 
Him  chiefly,  and  that  desire  can  never  be  balked. 
There  is  a  region,  and  only  one,  in  which  it  is  safe 
to  set  our  hearts  on  unattaincd  good.     They  who  long 


cxlv.]  THE  PSALMS  433 


for  God  will  always  have  as  much  of  God  as  they  long 
for  and  are  capable  of  receiving. 

But  notwithstanding  the  universality  of  the  Divine 
loving-kindness,  mankind  still  parts  into  two  sections, 
one  capable  of  receiving  the  highest  gifts,  one  incapable, 
because  not  desiring  them.  And  therefore  the  One 
Light,  in  its  universal  shining,  works  two  effects,  being 
lustre  and  life  to  such  as  welcome  it,  but  darkness 
and  death  to  those  who  turn  from  it.  It  is  man's 
awful  prerogative  that  he  can  distil  poison  out  of  the 
water  of  life,  and  can  make  it  impossible  for  himself 
to  receive  from  tender,  universal  Goodness  anything 
but  destruction. 

The  singer  closes  his  song  with  the  reiterated  vow 
that  his  songs  shall  never  close,  and,  as  in  the  earlier 
part  of  the  psalm,  rejoices  in  the  confidence  that  his 
single  voice  shall,  like  that  of  the  herald  angel  at 
Bethlehem,  be  merged  in  the  notes  of  "  a  multitude 
praising  God  and  saying,  Glory  to  God  in  the  highest." 


VOL.  in.  28 


PSALM   CXLVI. 

1  Hallelujah ! 
Praise  Jehovah,  my  soul. 

2  I  will  praise  Jehovah  while  I  live, 

I  will  harp  to  Jehovah  as  long  as  I  exist. 

3  Trust  not  in  nobles, 

In  a  son  of  Adam,  who  has  no  deliverance  [to  give]. 

4  His  spirit  goes  forth,  he  returns  to  his  earth, 
In  that  same  day  his  schemes  perish. 

5  Blessed  he  who  has  the  God  of  Jacob  for  his  help, 
Whose  hope  is  on  Jehovah  his  God  ! 

6  Who  made  heaven  and  earth, 
The  sea — and  all  that  is  in  them  ; 
Who  keeps  troth  for  ever  ; 

7  Who  executes  judgment  for  the  oppressed  ; 
Who  gives  bread  to  the  hungry. 
Jehovah  looses  captives ; 

8  Jehovah  opens  the  eyes  of  the  blind; 
Jehovah  raises  the  bowed  down  ; 
Jehovah  loves  the  righteous  ; 

9  Jehovah  preserves  the  strangers ; 
Orphans  and  widows  He  sets  up  ; 

But  the  way  of  the  wicked  He  thwarts. 
lO  Jehovah  shall  be  King  for  ever, 

Thy  God,  O  Zion,  to  generation  after  generation. 
Hallelujah  ! 

THE  long-drawn  music  of  the  Psalter  closes  with 
five  Hallelujah  psalms,  in  which,  with  constantly 
swelling  diapason,  all  themes  of  praise  are  pealed  forth, 
until  the  melodious  thunder  of  the  final  psalm,  which 
calls^on  everything  that   has*  breath  to  praise  Jehovahi 

434 


cxlvi.]  THE  PSALMS  435 

Possibly  the  number  of  these  psalms  may  have  reference 
to  the  five  books  into  which  the  Psalter  is  divided. 

This  is  the  first  of  the  five.  It  is  largely  coloured  by 
earlier  songs,  but  still  throbs  with  fresh  emotion.  Its 
theme  is  the  blessedness  of  trust  in  Jehovah,  as  shown 
by  His  character  and  works.  It  deals  less  with  Israel's 
special  prerogatives  than  its  companions  do,  while  yet  it 
claims  the  universally  beneficent  Ruler  as  Israel's  God. 

The  singer's  full  heart  of  thanksgiving  must  first  pour 
itself  out  in  vows  of  perpetual  praise,  before  he  begins 
to  woo  others  to  the  trust  which  blesses  him.  Exhor- 
tations are  impotent  unless  enforced  by  example.  Ver.  2 
is  borrowed  with  slight  variation  from  Psalm  civ.  33. 

The  negative  side  of  the  psalmist's  exhortation  follows 
in  vv.  3,  4,  which  warn  against  wasting  trust  on  power- 
less men.  The  same  antithesis  between  men  and  God 
as  objects  of  confidence  occurs  in  many  places  of 
Scripture,  and  here  is  probably  borrowed  from  Psalm 
cxviii.  8.  The  reason  assigned  for  the  dehortation  is 
mainly  man's  mortality.  However  high  his  state,  he 
is  but  a  "  son  of  Adam  "  (the  earth-born),  and  inherits 
the  feebleness  and  fleetingness  which  deprive  him  of 
ability  to  help.  "  He  has  no  salvation  "  is  the  literal 
rendering  of  the  last  words  of  ver.  3  b.  Psalm  Ix.  1 1 
gives  the  same  thought,  and  almost  in  the  same  words. 
Ver.  4  sets  forth  more  fully  man's  mortality,  as  demon- 
strating the  folly  of  trusting  in  him.  His  breath  or 
spirit  escapes ;  he  goes  back  to  "  his  earth,"  from  which 
he  was  created  ;  and  what  becomes  of  all  his  busy 
schemes  ?  They  "  perish  "  as  he  does.  The  psalmist 
has  a  profound  sense  of  the  phantasmal  character  of 
the  solid-seeming  realities  of  human  glory  and  power. 
But  it  wakes  no  bitterness  in  him,  nor  does  it  breathe 
any   sfidness   into   hi«   song.     U   only   teaches   him   to 


436  THE  PSALMS 


cling  the  more  closely  to  the  permanent  and  real.  His 
negative  teaching,  if  it  stood  alone,  would  be  a  gospel 
of  despair,  the  reduction  of  life  to  a  torturing  cheat ; 
but  taken  as  the  prelude  to  the  revelation  of  One  whom 
it  is  safe  to  trust,  there  is  nothing  sad  in  it.  So  the 
psalm  springs  up  at  once  from  these  thoughts  of  the 
helplessness  of  mortal  man,  to  hymn  the  blessedness 
of  trust  set  upon  the  undying  God,  hke  a  song-bird 
from  its  lair  in  a  grave-yard,  which  pours  its  glad  notes 
above  the  grassy  mounds,  as  it  rises  in  spirals  towards 
the  blue,  and  at  each  gives  forth  a  more  exultant  burst 
of  music. 

The  exclamation  in  ver.  5  is  the  last  of  the  twenty- 
five  "  Blesseds  "  in  the  Psalter.  Taken  together,  as 
any  concordance  will  show,  beginning  with  Psalm  i., 
they  present  a  beautiful  and  comprehensive  ideal  of  the 
devout  life.  The  felicity  of  such  a  life  is  here  gathered 
up  into  two  comprehensive  considerations,  which  supple- 
ment each  other.  It  is  blessed  to  have  the  God  of 
Jacob  on  our  side  ;  but  it  is  not  enough  for  the  heart 
to  know  that  He  bore  a  relation  to  another  in  the  far- 
off  past  or  to  a  community  in  the  present.  There  must 
be  an  individualising  bond  between  the  soul  and  God, 
whereby  the  "  God  of  Jacob  "  becomes  the  God  who 
belongs  to  the  single  devout  man,  and  all  the  facts  of 
whose  protection  in  the  past  are  renewed  in  the  prosaic 
present.  It  is  blessed  to  have  Jehovah  for  one's  "  help," 
but  that  is  only  secured  when,  by  the  effort  of  one's 
own  will.  He  is  clasped  as  one's  "  hope."  Such  hope  is 
blessed,  for  it  will  never  be  put  to  shame,  nor  need  to 
shift  its  anchorage.  It  brings  into  any  life  the  all- 
sufficient  help  which  is  the  ultimate  source  of  all  felicity, 
and  makes  the  hope  that  grasps  it  blessed,  as  the  hand 
that  holds  some  fragrant  gum  is  perfumed  by  the  touch. 


cxlvi.]  TIJE  PSALMS  437 

But  the  psalmist  passes  swiftly  from  celebrating 
trust  to  magnify  its  object,  and  sets  forth  in  an  impres- 
sive series  the  manifold  perfections  and  acts  which 
witness  that  Jehovah  is  worthy  to  be  the  sole  Con- 
fidence of  men. 

The  nine  Divine  acts,  which  invite  to  trust  in  Him, 
are  divided  into  two  parts,  by  a  change  in  construction. 
There  is,  first,  a  series  of  participles  (vv.  S-y  b),  and 
then  a  string  of  brief  sentences  enumerating  Divine 
deeds  (vv.  7  c-g).  No  very  clear  difference  in  thought 
can  be  established  as  corresponding  to  this  difference 
in  form.  The  psalmist  begins  with  God's  omnipotence 
as  manifested  in  creation.  The  first  requisite  for  trust 
is  assurance  of  power  in  the  person  trusted.  The 
psalmist  calls  heaven  and  earth  and  sea,  with  all  their 
inhabitants,  as  witnesses  that  Jehovah  is  not  like  the 
son  of  man,  in  whom  there  is  no  power  to  help. 

But  power  may  be  whimsical,  changeable,  or  may 
shroud  its  designs  in  mystery ;  therefore,  if  it  is  to  be 
trusted,  its  purposes  and  methods  must  be  so  far  known 
that  a  man  may  be  able  to  reckon  on  it.  Therefore 
the  psalm  adds  unchangeable  faithfulness  to  His  power. 
But  Power,  however  faithful,  is  not  yet  worthy  of  trust, 
unless  it  works  according  to  righteousness,  and  has 
an  arm  that  wars  against  wrong  ;  therefore  to  creative 
might  and  plighted  troth  the  psalmist  adds  the  exercise 
of  judgment.  Nor  are  these  enough,  for  the  conception 
which  they  embody  may  be  that  of  a  somewhat  stern 
and  repellent  Being,  who  may  be  reverenced,  but  not 
approached  with  the  warm  heart  of  trust ;  therefore  the 
psalmist  adds  beneficence,  which  ministers  their  appro- 
priate food  to  all  desires,  not  only  of  the  flesh,  but  of  the 
spirit.  The  hungry  hearts  of  men,  who  are  all  full  of 
needs  and  longings,  may  turn  to  this  mighty,  faithful, 


438  THE  PSALMS 


righteous  Jehovah,  and  be  sure  that  He  never  sends 
mouths  but  He  sends  meat  to  fill  them.  All  our  various 
kinds  of  hunger  are  doors  for  God  to  come  into  our 
spirits. 

The  second  series  of  sentences  deals  mainly  with 
the  Divine  beneficence  in  regard  to  man's  miseries. 
The  psalmist  does  not  feel  that  the  existence  of  these 
sad  varieties  of  sorrow  clouds  his  assurance  in  God's 
goodness.  To  him,  they  are  occasions  for  the  most 
heart-touching  display  of  God's  pitying,  healing  hand. 
If  there  is  any  difference  between  the  two  sets  of 
clauses  descriptive  of  God's  acts,  the  latter  bring  into 
clearer  light  His  personal  agency  in  each  case  of 
suffering.  This  mighty,  faithful,  righteous,  beneficent 
Jehovah,  in  all  the  majesty  which  that  name  suggests, 
comes  down  to  the  multitude  of  burdened  ones  and 
graciously  deals  with  each,  having  in  His  heart  the 
knowledge  of,  and  in  His  hand  the  remedy  for,  all  their 
ills.  The  greatness  of  His  nature  expressed  by  His 
name  is  vividly  contrasted  with  the  tenderness  and 
lowliness  of  His  working.  Captives,  blind  persons, 
and  those  bowed  down  by  sorrows  or  otherwise  appeal 
to  Him  by  their  helplessness,  and  His  strong  hand 
breaks  the  fetters,  and  His  gentle  touch  opens  without 
pain  the  closed  eyes  and  quickens  the  paralysed  nerve 
to  respond  to  the  light,  and  His  firm,  loving  hold  lifts 
to  their  feet  and  establishes  the  prostrate.  All  these 
classes  of  afflicted  persons  are  meant  to  be  regarded 
literally,  but  all  may  have  a  wider  meaning,  and  be 
intended  to  hint  at  spiritual  bondage,  blindness,  and 
abjectness. 

The  next  clause  (ver.  8  c)  seems  to  interrupt  the 
representation  of  forms  of  affliction,  but  it  comes  in 
with    great    significance    in    the    centre    of    that    sad 


cxlvi.]  THE  PSALMS  439 

caLaluguu  ;  lur  its  presence  here  teaclies  that  not  merely 
affliction,  whether  physical  or  other,  secures  Jehovah's 
gracious  help,  but  that  there  must  be  the  yielding  of 
heart  to  Him,  and  the  effort  at  conformity  of  life  with 
His  precepts  and  pattern,  if  His  aid  is  to  be  reckoned 
on  in  men's  sorrows.  The  prisoners  will  still  languish 
in  chains,  the  blind  will  grope  in  darkness,  the  bowed 
down  will  lie  prone  in  the  dust,  unless  they  are 
righteous. 

The  series  of  afflictions  which  God  alleviates  is 
resumed  in  ver.  9  with  a  pathetic  triad — strangers, 
widows,  and  fatherless.  These  are  forlorn  indeed,  and 
the  depth  of  their  desolation  is  the  measure  of  the 
Divine  compassion.  The  enumeration  of  Jehovah's 
acts,  which  make  trust  in  God  blessed  in  itself,  and 
the  sure  way  of  securing  help  which  is  not  vain,  needs 
but  one  more  touch  for  completion,  and  that  is  added 
in  the  solemn  thought  that  He,  by  His  providences 
and  in  the  long  run,  turns  aside  (i.e.  from  its  aim)  the 
way  of  the  wicked.  That  aspect  of  God's  government 
is  lightly  handled  in  one  clause,  as  befits  the  purpose 
of  the  psalm.  But  it  could  not  be  left  out.  A  true 
likeness  must  have  shadows.  God  were  not  a  God  for 
men  to  rely  on,  unless  the  trend  of  His  reign  was  to 
crush  evil  and  thwart  the  designs  of  sinners. 

The  blessedness  of  trust  in  Jehovah  is  gathered  up 
into  one  great  thought  in  the  last  verse  of  the  psalm. 
The  sovereignty  of  God  to  all  generations  suggests  the 
swift  disappearance  of  earthly  princes,  referred  to  in 
ver.  4.  To  trust  in  fleeting  power  is  madness  ;  to  trust 
in  the  Eternal  King  is  wisdom  and  blessedness,  and  in 
some  sense  makes  him  who  trusts  a  sharer  in  the 
eternity  of  the  God  in  whom  is  his  hope,  and  from 
whom  is  his  help. 


PSALM    CXLVII. 

1  Hallelujah  ! 

For  it  is  good  to  harp  unto  our  God, 
For  it  is  pleasant :  praise  is  comely. 

2  Jehovah  is  the  builder  up  of  Jerusalem, 
The  outcasts  of  Israel  He  gathers  together  ; 

3  The  healer  of  the  broken-hearted, 
And  He  binds  their  wounds; 

4  Counting  a  number  for  the  stars. 
He  calls  them  all  by  names. 

5  Great  is  our  Lord  and  of  vast  might, 

To  His  understanding  there  is  no  number. 

6  Jehovah  helps  up  the  afflicted, 
Laying  low  the  wicked  to  the  ground. 

7  Sing  to  Jehovah  with  thanksgiving. 
Harp  to  our  God  on  the  lyre, 

8  Covering  heaven  with  clouds. 
Preparing  rain  for  the  earth  ; 

Making  the  mountains  shoot  forth  grass, 

9  Giving  to  the  beast  its  food, 

To  the  brood  of  the  raven  which  croak. 

10  Not  in  the  strength  of  the  horse  does  He  delight, 
Not  in  the  legs  of  a  man  does  He  take  pleasure. 

11  Jehovah  takes  pleasure  in  them  that  fear  Him, 
Them  that  wait  for  His  loving-kindness. 

12  Extol  Jehovah,  O  Jerusalem, 
Praise  thy  God,  O  Zion. 

13  For  He  has  strengthened  the  bars  of  thy  gates, 
He  has  blessed  tliy  children  in  thy  midst. 

14  Setting  thy  borders  in  peace, 

Witii  the  fat  of  wlicat  He  satisfies  thee  ; 

15  Sending  forth  His  commandment  on  the  cnrth, 
Swiftly  runs  His  word  ; 

440 


cxlvii.]  THE  PSALMS  441 


16  Giving  snow  like  wool, 

Hoar  frost  He  scatters  like  ashes ; 

17  Flinging  forth  His  ice  like  morsels, 
Before  His  cold  who  can  stand  ? 

18  He  sends  forth  His  word  and  melts  them, 

He  causes  His  wind  to  blow — the  waters  flow; 

19  Declaring  His  word  to  Jacob, 

His  statutes  and  judgments  to  Israel. 

20  He  has  not  dealt  thus  to  any  nation  ; 

And  His  judgments^they  have  not  known  them. 

THE  threefold  calls  to  praise  Jehovah  (vv.  i,  7,  12) 
divide  this  psalm  into  three  parts,  the  two  former 
of  which  are  closely  connected,  inasmuch  as  the  first 
part  is  mainly  occupied  with  celebrating  God's  mercy 
to  the  restored  Israel,  and  the  second  takes  a  wider 
outlook,  embracing  His  beneficence  to  all  living  things. 
Both  these  points  of  view  are  repeated  in  the  same 
order  in  the  third  part  (vv.  12-20),  which  the  LXX. 
makes  a  separate  psalm.  The  allusions  to  Jerusalem 
as  rebuilt,  to  the  gathering  of  the  scattered  Israelites, 
and  to  the  fortifications  of  the  city  naturally  point  to 
the  epoch  of  the  Restoration,  whether  or  not,  with 
Delitzsch  and  others,  we  suppose  that  the  psalm 
was  sung  at  the  feast  of  the  dedication  of  the  new 
walls.  In  any  case,  it  is  a  hymn  of  the  restored  people, 
which  starts  from  the  special  mercy  shown  to  them, 
and  rejoices  in  the  thought  that  "  Our  God  "  fills  the 
earth  with  good  and  reigns  to  bless,  in  the  realm  of 
Nature  as  in  that  of  special  Revelation.  The  emphasis 
placed  on  God's  working  in  nature,  in  this  and  others 
of  these  closing  psalms,  is  probably  in  part  a  polemic 
against  the  idolatry  which  Israel  had  learned  to  abhor, 
by  being  brought  face  to  face  with  it  in  Babylon,  and 
in  part  a  result  of  the  widening  of  conceptions  as  to 
His    relation    to    the    world   outside    Israel   which    the 


442  THE  PSALMS 


Exile  had  also  effected.  The  two  truths  of  His  special 
relation  to  His  people  and  of  His  universal  loving- 
kindness  have  often  been  divorced,  both  by  His  people 
and  by  their  enemies.  This  psalm  teaches  a  more 
excellent  way. 

The  main  theme  of  vv.  i-6  is  God's  manifestation  of 
transcendent  power  and  incalculable  wisdom,  as  well 
as  infinite  kindness,  in  building  up  the  ruined  Jerusalem 
and  collecting  into  a  happy  band  of  citizens  the  lonely 
wanderers  of  Israel.  For  such  blessings  praise  is  due, 
and  the  psalm  summons  all  who  share  them  to  swell 
the  song.  Ver.  i  is  somewhat  differently  construed 
by  some,  as  Hupfeld,  who  would  change  one  letter  in 
the  word  rendered  above  "  to  harp,"  and,  making  it 
an  imperative,  would  refer  "good  "and  "pleasant"  to 
God,  thus  making  the  whole  to  read,  "  Praise  Jehovah, 
for  He  is  good  ;  harp  to  our  God,  for  He  is  pleasant : 
praise  is  comely."  This  change  simplifies  some  points 
of  construction,  but  labours  under  the  objection  that  it 
is  contrary  to  usage  to  apply  the  adjective  "  pleasant " 
to  God ;  and  the  usual  rendering  is  quite  intelligible 
and  appropriate.  The  reason  for  the  fittingness  and 
delightsomeness  of  praise  is  the  great  mercy  shown  to 
Israel  in  the  Restoration,  which  mercy  is  in  the  psalmist's 
thoughts  throughout  this  part.  He  has  the  same  fond- 
ness for  using  participles  as  the  author  of  the  previous 
psalm,  and  begins  vv.  2,  3,  4,  and  6  with  them.  Pos- 
sibly their  use  is  intended  to  imply  that  the  acts 
described  by  them  are  regarded  as  continuous,  not 
merely  done  once  for  all.  Jehovah  is  ever  building 
up  Jerusalem,  and,  in  like  manner,  uninterruptedly 
energising  in  providence  and  nature.  The  collocation 
of  Divine  acts  in  ver.  2  bears  upon  the  great  theme 
that  fills  the  singer's  heart  and  lips.     It  is  the  outcasts 


cxlvii.]  THE  PSALMS  443 

of  Israel  of  whom  he  thinks,  while  he  sings  of  binding 
up  the  broken-hearted.  It  is  they  who  are  the  "  afflicted," 
helped  up  by  that  strong,  gentle  clasp ;  while  their 
oppressors  are  the  wicked,  flung  prone  by  the  very 
wind  of  God's  hand.  The  beautiful  and  profound 
juxtaposition  of  gentle  healing  and  omnipotence  in  vv. 
3,  4,  is  meant  to  signalise  the  work  of  restoring  Israel 
as  no  less  wondrous  than  that  of  marshalling  the  stars, 
and  to  hearten  faith  by  pledging  that  incalculable  Power 
to  perfect  its  restoring  work.  He  who  stands  beside  the 
sick-bed  of  the  broken-hearted,  like  a  gentle  physician, 
with  balm  and  bandage,  and  lays  a  tender  hand  on 
their  wounds,  is  He  who  sets  the  stars  in  their  places 
and  tells  them  as  a  shepherd  his  flock  or  a  commander 
his  army.  The  psalmist  borrows  from  Isa.  xl.  26-29, 
where  several  of  his  expressions  occur.  "  Counting  a 
number  for  the  stars  "  is  scarcely  equivalent  to  number- 
ing them  as  they  shine.  It  rather  means  determining 
how  many  of  them  there  shall  be.  Calling  them  all 
by  names  (lit..  He  calls  names  to  them  all)  is  not  giving 
them  designations,  but  summoning  them  as  a  captain 
reading  the  muster-roll  of  his  band.  It  may  also  imply 
full  knowledge  of  each  individual  in  their  countless 
hosts.  Ver.  5  is  taken  from  the  passage  in  Isaiah 
already  referred  to,  with  the  change  of  "  no  number" 
for  "  no  searching,"  a  change  which  is  suggested  by 
the  preceding  reference  to  the  number  of  the  stars. 
These  have  a  number,  though  it  surpasses  human 
arithmetic  ;  but  His  wisdom  is  measureless.  And  all 
this  magnificence  of  power,  this  minute  particularising 
knowledge,  this  abyss  of  wisdom,  are  guarantees  for 
the  healing  of  the  broken-hearted.  The  thought  goes 
further  than  Israel's  deliverance  from  bondage.  It  has 
a  strong  voice  of  cheer  for  all  sad  hearts,  who  will  let 


444  1'HE  PSALMS 


Him  probe  their  wounds  that  He  may  bind  them  up. 
The  mighty  God  of  Creation  is  the  tender  God  of 
Providence  and  of  Redemption.  Therefore  "  praise  is 
comely,"  and  fear  and  faltering  are  unbefitting. 

The   second  part  of  the  psalm    (ver.    7-1 1)    passes 
out    from    the    special    field    of   mercy    to    Israel,    and 
comes    down    from    the    glories    of    the    heavens,    to 
magnify  God's  universal  goodness  manifested  in  physical 
changes,   by  which  lowly   creatures  are   provided    for. 
The   point  of  time  selected  is  that  of  the    November 
rains.     The  verbs  in  vv.  8,  9,  11,  are  again  participles, 
expressive  of  continuous  action.       The  yearly  miracle 
which  brings  from  some  invisible  storehouse  the  clouds 
to  fill  the  sky  and  drop  down  fatness,  the  answer  of 
the  brown   earth  which  mysteriously  shoots  forth  the 
tender  green  spikelets  away  up  on  the  mountain  flanks, 
where  no  man   has  sown   and  no  man  will  reap,  the 
loving  care  which  thereby  provides  food  for  the   wild 
creatures,  owned   by  no  one,  and  answers  the  hoarse 
croak  of  the  callow  fledgelings  in  the  ravens'  nests — 
these    are    manifestations    of  God's    power   and    reve- 
lations  of  His   character  worthy   to  be   woven   into  a 
hymn  which  celebrates  His  restoring  grace,  and  to  be 
set    beside    the    apocal^^pse    of  His   greatness    in    the 
nightly  heavens.     But  what  has  ver.    10  to  do  here? 
The  connection  of  it  is  difficult  to  trace.     Apparently, 
the    psalmist  would    draw    from    the    previous   verses, 
which     exhibit     God's    universal     goodness    and    the 
creatures'  dependence  on  Him,  the  lesson  that  reliance 
on  one's  own  resources  or  might  is  sure  to  be  smitten 
with  confusion,  while  humble  trust  in  God,  which  man 
alone  of  earth's  creatures  can  exercise,  is  for  him  the 
condition   of  his    receiving    needed    gifts.      The    beast 
gets  its  food,  and  it  is  enough  that  the  young  ravens 


cxlvii.]  THE  PSALMS  445 

should  croak,  but  man  has  to  "  fear  Him  "  and  to  wait 
on  His  "  loving-kindness."  Ver.  10  is  a  reminiscence 
of  Psalm  xxxiii.  16,  17,  and  ver.  ii  of  the  next  verse 
of  the  same  psalm. 

The  third  part  (vv.  12-20)  travels  over  sub- 
stantially the  same  ground  as  the  two  former,  beginning 
with  the  mercy  shown  to  the  restored  Israel,  and 
passing  on  to  wider  manifestations  of  God's  goodness. 
But  there  is  a  difference  in  this  repeated  setting  forth 
of  both  these  themes.  The  fortifications  of  Jerusalem 
are  now  complete,  and  their  strength  gives  security  to 
the  people  gathered  into  the  city.  Over  all  the  land 
once  devastated  by  war  peace  broods,  and  the  fields 
that  lay  desolate  now  have  yielded  harvest.  The 
ancient  promise  (Psalm  Ixxxi.  16)  has  been  fulfilled, 
its  condition  having  been  complied  with,  and  Israel 
having  hearkened  to  Jehovah.  Protection,  blessing, 
tranquillity,  abundance,  are  the  results  of  obedience 
God's  gifts  to  them  that  fear  Him.  So  it  was  in  the 
psalmist's  experience ;  so,  in  higher  form,  it  is  still. 
These  Divine  acts  are  continuous,  and  as  long  as  there 
are  men  who  trust,  there  will  be  a  God  who  builds 
defences  around  them,  and  satisfies  them  with  good. 

Again  the  psalmist  turns  to  the  realm  of  nature  ; 
but  it  is  nature  at  a  different  season  which  now  yields 
witness  to  God's  universal  power  and  care.  The 
phenomena  of  a  sharp  winter  were  more  striking  to 
the  psalmist  than  to  us.  But  his  poet's  eye  and  his 
devout  heart  recognise  even  in  the  cold,  before  which 
his  Eastern  constitution  cowered  shivering,  the  working 
of  God's  Will.  His  "commandment"  or  Word  is 
personified,  and  compared  to  a  swift- footed  messenger. 
As  ever,  power  over  material  things  is  attributed  to 
the  Divine  word,  and  as  ever,  in  the  Biblical  view  of 


446*  THE  PSALMS 


nature,  all  intermediate  links  are  neglected,  and  the 
Almighty  cause  at  one  end  of  the  chain  and  the 
physical  effect  at  the  other  are  brought  together.  There 
is  between  these  two  clauses  room  enough  for  all  that 
meteorology  has  to  say. 

The  winter-piece  in  vv.  i6,  17,  dashes  off  the  dreary 
scene  with  a  few  bold  strokes.  The  air  is  full  of  flakes 
like  floating  wool,  or  the  white  mantle  covers  the 
ground  like  a  cloth ;  rime  lies  everywhere,  as  if  ashes 
were  powdered  over  trees  and  stones.  Hail-stones 
fall,  as  if  He  flung  them  down  from  above.  They  are 
like  **  morsels  "  of  bread,  a  comparison  which  strikes 
us  as  violent,  but  which  may  possibly  describe  the 
more  severe  storms,  in  which  flat  pieces  of  ice  fall. 
As  by  magic,  all  is  changed  when  He  again  sends 
forth  His  word.  It  but  needs  that  He  should  let  a 
warm  wind  steal  gently  across  the  desolation,  and 
every  sealed  and  silent  brook  begins  to  tinkle  along 
its  course.  And  will  not  He  who  thus  changes  the 
face  of  the  earth  in  like  manner  breathe  upon  frost- 
bound  lives  and  hearts, 

"  And  every  winter  merge  in  spring  "  ? 

But  the  psalm  cannot  end  with  contemplation  of 
God's  universal  beneficence,  however  gracious  that  is. 
There  is  a  higher  mode  of  activity  for  His  word  than 
that  exercised  on  material  things.  God  sends  His 
commandment  forth  and  earth  unconsciously  obeys, 
and  all  creatures,  men  included,  are  fed  and  blessed. 
But  the  noblest  utterance  of  His  word  is  in  the  shape 
of  statutes  and  judgments,  and  these  are  Israel's 
prerogative.  The  psalmist  is  not  rejoicing  that  other 
nations  have  not  received  these,  but  that  Israel  has. 
JN    privilege    is    its    responsibility:       It    has    received 


cxlvii.]  THE  PSALMS  447 


them  that  it  may  obey  them,  and  then  that  it  may  make 
them  known.  If  the  God  who  scatters  lower  blessings 
broad-cast,  not  forgetting  beasts  and  ravens,  has  re- 
stricted His  highest  gift  to  His  people,  the  restriction 
is  a  clear  call  to  them  to  spread  the  knowledge  of  the 
treasure  entrusted  to  them.  To  glory  in  privilege  is 
sin ;  to  learn  that  it  means  responsibility  is  wisdom. 
The  lesson  is  needed  by  those  who  to-day  have  been 
served  as  heirs  to  Israel's  prerogative,  forfeited  by  it 
because  it  clutched  it  for  itself,  and  forgot  its  obligation 
to  carry  it  as  widely  as  God  had  diffused  His  lower 
gifts. 


PSALM    CXLVIII. 

1  Hallelujah ! 

Praise  Jehovah  from  the  heavens, 
Praise  Him  in  the  heights. 

2  Praise  Him,  all  His  angels, 
Praise  Him,  all  His  host. 

3  Praise  Him,  sun  and  moon, 
Praise  Him,  all  stars  of  light. 

4  Praise  Him,  heavens  of  heavens. 

And  waters  that  are  above  the  heavens — 

5  Let  them  praise  the  name  of  Jehovah, 

For  He,  He  commanded  and  they  were  created. 

6  And  He  established  them  for  ever  and  aye, 

A  law  gave  He  [them]  and  none  transgresses. 

7  Praise  Jehovah  from  the  earth, 
Sea-monsters,  and  all  ocean-depths; 

8  Fire  and  hail,  snow  and  smoke. 
Storm-wind  doing  His  behest ; 

9  Mountains  and  all  hills. 
Fruit  trees  and  all  cedars  ; 

10  Wild  beast  and  all  cattle. 
Creeping  thing  and  winged  fowl ; 

1 1  Kings  of  the  earth  and  all  peoples, 
Princes  and  all  judges  of  the  earth  ; 

12  Young  men  and  also  maidens, 
Old  men  with  children — 

3  Let  them  praise  the  name  of  Jehovah, 
For  His  name  alone  is  exalted. 

His  majesty  above  earth  and  heaven. 

4  And  He  has  lifted  up  a  horn  for  His  people, 
A  praise  for  all  His  beloved, 

[Even]  for  the  children  of  Israel,  the  people  near  to  Him. 
Hallelujah  I 
448 


cxlviii.]  THE  PSALMS  449 

THE  mercy  granted  to  Israel  (ver.  14)  is,  in  the 
psalmist's  estimation,  worthy  to  call  forth  strains 
of  praise  from  all  creatures.  It  is  the  same  conception 
as  is  found  in  several  of  the  psalms  of  the  King  (xciii.-c), 
but  is  here  expressed  with  unparalleled  magnificence 
and  fervour.  The  same  idea  attains  the  climax  of  its 
representation  in  the  mighty  anthem  from  "  every 
creature  which  is  in  heaven  and  on  the  earth,  and 
under  the  earth,  and  such  as  are  in  the  sea,  and  all  that 
are  in  them,"  whom  John  heard  sa3'ing,  "  Blessing  and 
honour  and  glory  and  power  unto  Him  that  sitteth 
upon  the  throne,  and  unto  the  Lamb  for  ever  and  ever." 
It  may  be  maintained  that  this  psalm  is  only  a  highly 
emotional  and  imaginative  rendering  of  the  truth  that 
all  God's  works  praise  Him,  whether  consciously  or 
not,  but  its  correspondence  with  a  line  of  thought  which 
runs  through  Scripture  from  its  first  page  to  its  last — 
namely,  that,  as  man's  sin  subjected  the  creatures  to 
"  vanity,"  so  his  redemption  shall  be  their  glorifying — 
leads  us  to  see  prophetic  anticipation,  and  not  mere 
poetic  rapture,  in  this  summons  pealed  out  to  heights 
and  depths,  and  all  that  lies  between,  to  rejoice  in  what 
Jehovah  has  done  for  Israel. 

The  psalm  falls  into  two  broad  divisions,  in  the 
former  of  which  heaven,  and  in  the  latter  earth,  are 
invoked  to  praise  Jehovah.  Ver.  i  addresses  generally 
the  subsequently  particularised  heavenly  beings.  "  From 
the  heavens  "  and  "  in  the  heights  "  praise  is  to  sound  : 
the  former  phrase  marks  the  place  of  origin,  and  may 
imply  the  floating  down  to  a  listening  earth  of  that 
ethereal  music  ;  the  latter  thinks  of  all  the  dim  distances 
as  filled  with  it.  The  angels,  as  conscious  beings,  are 
the  chorus-leaders,  and  even  to  "  principalities  and 
powers  in  heavenly  places  "  Israel's  restoration  reveals 

VOL.  III.  29 


450  THE  PSALMS 


new  phases  of  the  "  manifold  wisdom  of  God."  The 
"  host "  (or  hosts,  according  to  the  amended  reading  of 
the  Hebrew  margin)  are  here  obviously  angels,  as 
required  by  the  parallelism  with  a.  The  sun,  moon, 
and  stars,  of  which  the  psalmist  knows  nothing  but 
that  they  burn  with  light  and  roll  in  silence  through 
the  dark  expanse,  are  bid  to  break  the  solemn  stillness 
that  fills  the  daily  and  nightly  sky.  Finally,  the  singer 
passes  in  thought  through  the  lower  heavens,  and  would 
fain  send  his  voice  whither  his  eye  cannot  pierce,  up 
into  that  mysterious  watery  abyss,  which,  according  to 
ancient  cosmography,  had  the  firmament  for  its  floor. 
It  is  absurd  to  look  for  astronomical  accuracy  in  such 
poetry  as  this ;  but  a  singer  who  knew  no  more  about 
sun,  moon,  and  stars,  and  depths  of  space,  than  that 
they  were  all  God's  creatures  and  in  their  silence  praised 
Him,  knew  and  felt  more  of  their  true  nature  and  charm 
than  does  he  who  knows  everything  about  them  except 
these  facts. 

Vv.  5,  6,  assign  the  reason  for  the  praise  of  the  heavens 
— Jehovah's  creative  act,  His  sustaining  power  and  His 
"  law,"  the  utterance  of  His  will  to  which  they  conform. 
Ver.  6  a  emphatically  asserts,  by  expressing  the  "  He," 
which  is  in  Hebrew  usually  included  in  the  verb,  that 
it  is  Jehovah  and  none  other  who  "  preserves  the  stars 
from  wrong."  "  Preservation  is  continuous  creation." 
The  meaning  of  the  close  of  ver.  6  6  is  doubtful,  if  the 
existing  text  is  adhered  to.  It  reads  literally  "  and  [it  ?] 
shall  not  pass."  The  unexpressed  nominative  is  by  some 
taken  to  be  the  before-mentioned  "law,"  and  "pass"  to 
mean  cease  to  be  in  force  or  be  transgressed.  Others  take 
the  singular  verb  as  being  used  distributively,  and  so 
render  **  None  of  them  transgresses."  But  a  very  slight 
alteration  gives  the  plural  verb,  which  makes  all  plain. 


cxlviii.]  THE  PSALMS  451 

In  these  starry  depths  obedience  reigns  ;  it  is  only 
on  earth  that  a  being  lives  who  can  and  will  break  the 
merciful  barriers  of  Jehovah's  law.  Therefore,  from 
that  untroubled  region  of  perfect  service  comes  a  purer 
song  of  praise,  though  it  can  never  have  the  pathetic 
harmonies  of  that  which  issues  from  rebels  brought 
back  to  allegiance. 

The  summons  to  the  earth  begins  with  the  lowest 
places,  as  that  to  the  heavens  did  with  the  highest. 
The  psalmist  knows  little  of  the  uncouth  forms  that 
may  wallow  in  ocean  depths,  but  he  is  sure  that  they 
too,  in  their  sunless  abodes,  can  praise  Jehovah.  From 
the  ocean  the  psalm  rises  to  the  air,  before  it,  as  it 
were,  settles  down  on  earth.  Ver.  8  may  refer  to  con- 
temporaneous phenomena,  and,  if  so,  describes  a  wild 
storm  hurtling  through  the  lower  atmosphere.  The 
verbal  arrangement  in  ver,  8  a  is  that  of  inverted 
parallelism,  in  which  "  fire  "  corresponds  to  "  smoke  ' 
and  **  hail "  to  "  snow."  Lightning  and  hail,  which 
often  occur  together,  are  similarly  connected  in  Psalm 
xviii.  12.  But  it  is  difficult  to  explain  **  snow  and 
smoke,"  if  regarded  as  accompaniments  of  the  former 
pair — fire  and  hail.  Rather  they  seem  to  describe 
another  set  of  meteorological  phenomena,  a  winter 
storm,  in  which  the  air  is  thick  with  flakes  as  if  charged 
with  smoke,  while  the  preceding  words  refer  to  a 
summer's  thunderstorm.  The  resemblance  to  the 
two  pictures  in  the  preceding  psalm,  one  of  the  time 
of  the  latter  rains  and  one  of  bitter  winter  weather,  is 
noticeable.  The  storm-wind,  which  drives  all  these 
formidable  agents  through  the  air,  in  its  utmost  fury 
is  a  servant.  As  in  Psalm  cvii.  25,  it  obeys  God's 
command. 

The  solid  earth  itself,  as  represented  by  its  loftiest 


452  THE  PSALMS 


summits  which  pierce  the  air ;  vegetable  Hfe,  as  repre- 
sented by  the  two  classes  of  fruit-bearing  and  forest 
trees ;  animals  in  their  orders,  wild  and  domestic ;  the 
lowest  worm  that  crawls  and  the  light-winged  bird 
that  soars, — these  all  have  voices  to  praise  God.  The 
song  has  been  steadily  rising  in  the  scale  of  being  from 
inanimate  to  animated  creatures,  and  last  it  summons 
man,  in  whom  creation's  praise  becomes  vocal  and 
conscious. 

All  men,  without  distinction  of  rank,  age,  or  sex, 
have  the  same  obligation  and  privilege  of  praise. 
Kings  are  most  kingly  when  they  cast  their  crowns 
before  Him.  Judges  are  wise  when  they  sit  as  His  vice- 
gerents. The  buoyant  vigour  of  youth  is  purest  when 
used  with  remembrance  of  the  Creator  ;  the  maiden's 
voice  is  never  so  sweet  as  in  hymns  to  Jehovah.  The 
memories  and  feebleness  of  age  are  hallowed  and 
strengthened  by  recognition  of  the  God  who  can  renew 
failing  energy  and  soothe  sad  remembrances ;  and  the 
child's  opening  powers  are  preserved  from  stain  and 
distortion,  by  drawing  near  to  Him  in  whose  praise 
the  extremes  of  life  find  common  ground.  The  young 
man's  strong  bass,  the  maiden's  clear  alto,  the  old 
man's  quavering  notes,  the  child's  fresh  treble,  should 
blend  in  the  song. 

Ver.  13  gives  the  reason  for  the  praise  of  earth,  but 
especially  of  man,  with  very  significant  difference  from 
that  assigned  in  vv.  5,  6.  "  His  name  is  exalted."  He 
has  manifested  Himself  to  eyes  that  can  sec,  and  has 
shown  forth  His  transcendent  majesty.  Man's  praise 
is  to  be  based  not  only  on  the  Revelation  of  God  in 
Nature,  but  on  that  higher  one  in  His  dealings  with 
men,  and  especially  with  Israel.  This  chief  reason  for 
praise  is  assigned  in  ver.  14,  and  indeed  underlies  the 


cxlviii.]  THE  PSALMS  453 


whole  psalm.  "  He  has  lifted  up  a  horn  for  His 
people,"  delivering  them  from  their  humiliation  and  cap- 
tivity, and  setting  them  again  in  their  land.  Thereby 
He  has  provided  all  His  favoured  ones  with  occasion 
for  praise.  The  condensed  language  of  ver.  14/*  is 
susceptible  of  different  constructions  and  meanings. 
Some  would  understand  the  verb  from  a  as  repeated 
before  "  praise,"  and  take  the  meaning  to  be  "  He 
exalts  the  praise  [i.e.,  the  glory]  of  His  beloved,"  but  it 
is  improbable  that  praise  here  should  mean  anything  but 
that  rendered  to  God.  The  simplest  explanation  of  the 
words  is  that  they  are  in  apposition  to  the  preceding 
clause,  and  declare  that  Jehovah,  by  "  exalting  a  horn 
to  His  people,"  has  given  them  especially  occasion  to 
praise  Him.  Israel  is  further  designated  as  "  a  people 
near  to  Him."  It  is  a  nation  of  priests,  having  the 
privilege  of  access  to  His  presence ;  and,  in  the  con- 
sciousness of  this  dignity,  "  comes  forward  in  this  psalm 
as  the  leader  of  all  the  creatures  in  their  praise  of  God, 
and  strikes  up  a  hallelujah  that  is  to  be  joined  in  by 
heaven  and  earth  "  (Delitzsch). 


PSALM   CXLIX. 

1  Sing  to  Jehovah  a  new  song, 

His  praise  in  the  congregation  of  His  favoured  ones. 

2  Let  Israel  rejoice  in  his  Maker, 

Let  the  children  of  Zion  be  glad  in  their  King. 

3  Let  them  praise  His  name  in  [the]  dance, 
With  timbrel  and  lyre  let  them  play  to  Him. 

4  For  Jehovah  takes  pleasure  in  His  people, 
He  adorns  the  meek  with  salvation. 

5  Let  His  favoured  ones  exult  in  glory. 
Let  them  shout  aloud  on  their  beds — 

6  The  high  praises  of  God  in  their  throat, 
And  a  two-edged  sword  in  their  hand  ; 

7  To  execute  vengeance  on  the  nations, 
Chastisements  on  the  peoples  ; 

8  To  bind  their  kings  in  chains 
And  their  nobles  in  bonds  of  iron  ; 

9  To  execute  on  them  the  sentence  written — 
An  honour  is  this  to  all  His  favoured  ones. 

Hallelujah  ! 

IN  the  preceding  psalm  Israel's  restoration  was 
connected  with  the  recognition  by  all  creatures, 
and  especially  by  the  kings  of  the  earth  and  their 
people,  of  Jehovah's  glory.  This  psalm  presents  the 
converse  thought,  that  the  restored  Israel  becomes  the 
executor  of  judgments  on  those  who  will  not  join  in 
the  praise  which  rings  from  Israel  that  it  may  be  caught 
up  by  all.  The  two  psalms  are  thus  closely  connected. 
The  circumstances  of  the  Restoration  accord  with  the 
tone  of  both,  as  of  the  other  members  of  this  closing 
group. 

454 


cxlix.]  THE   PSALMS  455 

The  happy  recipients  of  new  mercy  are,  as  in  Psalms 
xcvi.  and  xcviii,,  summoned  to  break  into  new  songs. 
Winter  silences  the  birds ;  but  spring,  the  new  "  life 
re-orient  out  of  dust,"  is  welcomed  with  music  from 
every  budding  tree. 

Chiefly  should  God's  praise  sound  out  from  "  the 
congregation  of  His  favoured  ones,"  the  long-scattered 
captives  who  owe  it  to  His  favour  that  they  are  a 
congregation  once  more.  The  jubilant  psalmist  delights 
in  that  name  for  Israel,  and  uses  it  thrice  in  his  song. 
He  loves  to  set  forth  the  various  names,  which  each 
suggest  some  sweet  strong  thought  of  what  God  is  to 
the  nation  and  the  nation  to  God — ^His  favoured  ones, 
Israel,  the  children  of  Zion,  His  people,  the  afflicted. 
He  heaps  together  synonyms  expressive  of  rapturous 
joy — rejoice,  be  glad,  exult.  He  calls  for  expressions 
of  triumphant  mirth  in  which  limbs,  instruments,  and 
voices  unite.  He  would  have  the  exuberant  gladness 
well  over  into  the  hours  of  repose,  and  the  night  be 
made  musical  with  ringing  shouts  of  joy.  "  Praise  is 
better  than  sleep,"  and  the  beds  which  had  often  been 
privy  to  silent  tears  may  well  be  witnesses  of  exulta- 
tion that  cannot  be  dumb. 

The  psalmist  touches  very  lightly  on  the  reason 
for  this  outburst  of  praise,  because  he  takes  it  for 
granted  that  so  great  and  recent  mercy  needed  little 
mention.  One  verse  (ver.  4)  suffices  to  recall  it. 
The  very  absorption  of  the  heart  in  its  bliss  may  make 
it  silent  about  the  bliss.  The  bride  needs  not  to  tell 
what  makes  her  glad.  Restored  Israel  requires  little 
reminder  of  its  occasion  for  joy.  But  the  brief  mention 
of  it  is  very  beautiful.  It  makes  prominent,  not  so 
much  the  outward  fact,  as  the  Divine  pleasure  in  His 
people,   of  which   the   fact   was    effect    and    indication. 


4S6  THE  PSALMS 


Their  affliction  had  been  the  token  that  God's  com- 
placency did  not  rest  on  them  ;  their  deliverance  is 
the  proof  that  the  sunlight  of  His  face  shines  on  them 
once  more.  His  chastisements  rightly  borne  are  ever 
precursors  of  deliverance,  which  adorns  the  meek 
afflicted,  giving  "  beauty  for  ashes."  The  qualification 
for  receiving  Jehovah's  help  is  meekness,  and  the 
effect  of  that  help  on  the  lowly  soul  is  to  deck  it  with 
strange  loveliness.  Therefore  God's  favoured  ones  may 
well  exult  in  glory — i.c.^  on  account  of  the  glory  with 
which  they  are  invested  by  His  salvation. 

The  stern  close  of  the  psalm  strikes  a  note  which 
many  ears  feel  to  be  discordant,  and  which  must  be 
freely  acknowledged  to  stand  on  the  same  lower  level 
as  the  imprecatory  psalms,  while,  even  more  distinctly 
than  these,  it  is  entirely  free  from  any  sentiment  of 
personal  vengeance.  The  picture  of  God's  people  going 
forth  to  battle,  chanting  His  praises  and  swinging  two- 
edged  swords,  shocks  Christian  sentiment.  It  is  not 
to  be  explained  away  as  meaning  the  spiritual  conquest 
of  the  world  with  spiritual  weapons.  The  psalmist 
meant  actual  warfare  and  real  iron  fetters.  But,  while 
the  form  of  his  anticipations  belongs  to  the  past  and 
is  entirely  set  aside  by  the  better  light  of  Christianit}', 
their  substance  is  true  for  ever.  Those  who  have  been 
adorned  with  Jehovah's  salvation  have  the  subjugation 
of  the  world  to  God's  rule  committed  to  them.  "  The 
weapons  of  our  warfare  are  not  carnal."  There  are 
stronger  fetters  than  those  of  iron,  even  "  the  cords  of 
love  "  and  "  the  bands  of  a  man." 

"  The  judgment  written,"  which  is  to  be  executed 
by  the  militant  Israel  on  the  nations,  does  not  seem 
to  have  reference  either  to  the  commandment  to  exter- 
minate the  Canaanites  or  to  the  punishments  threatened 


cxlix.]  THE  PSALMS  457 

in  many  places  of  Scripture.  It  is  better  to  take  it  as 
denoting  a  judgment  "fixed,  settled,  .  .  .  written  thus 
by  God  Himself"  (Perowne).  Ver.  9  Z»  may  be 
rendered  (as  Hupfeld  does)  "  Honour  [or,  majesty] 
is  He  to  all  His  favoured  ones,"  in  the  sense  that  God 
manifests  His  majesty  to  them,  or  that  He  is  the  object 
of  their  honouring ;  but  the  usual  rendering  is  more  in 
accordance  with  the  context  and  its  high-strung  martial 
ardour.  "  This  " — namely,  the  whole  of  the  crusade 
just  described — is  laid  upon  all  Jehovah's  favoured  ones, 
by  the  fact  of  their  participation  in  His  salvation.  The}' 
are  redeemed  from  bondage  that  they  may  be  God's 
warriors.     The  honour  and  obligation  are  universal. 


PSALM   CL. 

1  Hallelujah ! 
Praise  God  in  His  sanctuary, 

Praise  Him  in  the  firmament  of  His  strength. 

2  Praise  Him  for  His  mighty  deeds, 

Praise  Him  according  to  the  abundance  of  His  greatness. 

3  Praise  Him  with  blast  of  horn, 
Praise  Him  with  psaltery  and  harp, 

4  Praise  Him  with  timbrel  and  dance. 
Praise  Him  with  strings  and  pipe. 

5  Praise  Him  with  clear-sounding  cymbals. 
Praise  Him  with  deep-toned  cymbals. 

6  Let  everything  that  has  breath  praise  Jah. 

Hallelujah ! 

THIS  noble  close  of  the  Psalter  rings  out  one  clear 
note  of  praise,  as  the  end  of  all  the  many  moods 
and  experiences  recorded  in  its  wonderful  sighs  and 
songs.  Tears,  groans,  wailings  for  sin,  meditations  on 
the  dark  depths  of  Providence,  fainting  faith  and  foiled 
aspirations,  all  lead  up  to  this.  The  psalm  is  more 
than  an  artistic  close  of  the  Psalter ;  it  is  a  prophecy 
of  the  last  result  of  the  devout  life,  and,  in  its  unclouded 
sunniness,  as  well  as  in  its  universality,  it  proclaims 
the  certain  end  of  the  weary  years  for  the  individual 
and   for   the  world.       "  Everything  that  hath  breath  " 

458 


cl.]  THE  PSALMS  459 

shall  yet  praise  Jehovah.  The  psalm  is  evidently 
meant  for  liturgic  use,  and  one  may  imagine  that  each 
instrument  began  to  take  part  in  the  concert  as  it  was 
named,  till  at  last  all  blended  in  a  mighty  torrent  of 
praiseful  sound,  to  which  the  whirling  dancers  kept 
time.  A  strange  contrast  to  modern  notions  of  sobriety 
in  worship  ! 

The  tenfold  "  Praise  Him  "  has  been  often  noticed 
as  symbolic  of  completeness,  but  has  probably  no 
special  significance. 

In  ver.  i  the  psalmist  calls  on  earth  and  heaven  to 
praise.  The  "sanctuary"  may,  indeed,  be  either  the 
Temple  or  the  heavenly  palace  of  Jehovah,  but  it  is 
more  probable  that  the  invocation,  like  so  many  others 
of  a  similar  kind,  is  addressed  to  men  and  angels, 
than  that  the  latter  only  are  meant.  They  who 
stand  in  the  earthly  courts  and  they  who  circle  the 
throne  that  is  reared  above  the  visible  firmament  are 
parts  of  a  great  whole,  an  antiphonal  chorus.  It 
becomes  them  to  praise,  for  they  each  dwell  in  God's 
sanctuary. 

The  theme  of  praise  is  next  touched  in  ver.  2.  "  His 
mighty  deeds "  might  be  rendered  "  His  heroic  [or, 
valiant]  acts."  The  reference  is  to  His  deliverance  of 
His  people  as  a  signal  manifestation  of  prowess  or 
conquering  might.  The  tenderness  which  moved  the 
power  is  not  here  in  question,  but  the  power  cannot 
be  worthily  praised  or  understood,  unless  that  Divine 
pity  and  graciousness  of  which  it  is  the  instrument  are 
apprehended.  Mighty  acts,  unsoftened  by  loving  im- 
pulse and  gracious  purpose,  would  evoke  awe,  but  not 
thanks.  No  praise  is  adequate  to  the  abundance  of 
His  greatness,  but  yet  He  accepts  such  adoration  as 
men  can  render. 


46o  THE  PSALMS 


The  instruments  named  in  vv.  3-5  were  not  all  used, 
so  far  as  we  know,  in  the  Temple  service.  There  is 
possibly  an  intention  to  go  beyond  those  recognised 
as  sacred,  in  order  to  emphasise  the  universality  of 
praise.  The  horn  was  the  curved  "  Shophar,"  blown  by 
the  priests ;  "  harp  and  psaltery  were  played  by  the 
Levites,  timbrels  were  struck  by  women ;  and  danc- 
ing, playing  on  stringed  instruments  and  pipes  and 
cymbals,  were  not  reserved  for  the  Levites.  Con- 
sequently the  summons  to  praise  God  is  addressed  to 
priests,  Levites,  and  people"  (Baethgen).  In  ver.  a^b 
"strings"  means  stringed  instruments,  and  "pipe" 
is  probably  that  used  by  shepherds,  neither  of  which 
kinds  of  instrument  elsewhere  appears  as  emplo3'ed 
in  worship. 

Too  little  is  known  of  Jewish  music  to  enable  us  to 
determine  whether  the  epithets  applied  to  cymbals  refer 
to  two  different  kinds.  Probably  the}^  do  ;  the  first 
being  small  and  high-pitched,  the  second  larger,  like 
the  similar  instrument  used  in  military  music,  and  of  a 
deep  tone. 

But  the  singer  would  fain  hear  a  volume  of  sound 
which  should  drown  all  that  sweet  tumult  which  he 
has  evoked ;  and  therefore  he  calls  on  "  everything 
that  has  breath  "  to  use  it  in  sending  forth  a  thunder- 
chorus  of  praise  to  Jehovah.  The  invocation  bears 
the  prophecy  of  its  own  fulfilment.  These  last  strains 
of  the  long  series  of  psalmists  are  as  if  that  band 
of  singers  of  Israel  turned  to  the  listening  world,  and 
gave  into  its  keeping  the  harps  which,  under  their 
own  hands,  had  yielded  such  immortal  music. 

Few  voices  have  obeyed  the  summons,  and  the  vision 
of  a  world  melodious  with  the  praise  of  Jehovah  and  of 
Ilim  alone  appears  to  us,  in  our  despondent  moments, 


cl.]  THE  PSALMS  461 

almost  as  far  off  as  it  was  when  the  last  psalmist 
ceased  to  sing.  But  his  call  is  our  confidence  ;  and 
we  know  that  the  end  of  history  shall  be  that  to  Him 
whose  work  is  mightier  than  all  the  other  mighty  acts 
of  Jehovah,  "Every  knee  shall  bow,  and  every  tongue 
confess  that  Jesus  Christ  is  Lord,  to  the  glory  of  God 
the  Father." 


THE    END. 


§ 


/ 


Date  Due 


h  4*  '42 
F  ft*^4? 


rKV-^ 


i-*  *     '       ,.  U 


